Tobius a Hogwarts Adventure.
by M.V. Stervens
Summary: This is Tobys first year at Hogwarts and he gets a lot more than he barganed for.
1. Default Chapter

**Tobius, a Hogworts Adventure **  
by M V Stevens  


  
  
This story contains Charactors and places which were  
created by J.K.Rowling and is Fan Fiction.  
  
**Chapter 1 Of Ghosts and Cats.**   
  
Tobius Wright sat in his seat quietly listening to the hypnotic 'clackety clack' of the train wheels as the old steam Engine chugged along it's tracks. Three other kids his age had joined him in the compartment and for a while they were almost as quiet as he was. One however seemed the nervous type and finally started asking the others questions in an obvious attempt to get a conversation going. Toby didn't need to talk to help settle his nerves he wasn't nervous, but he could feal the others emotions clearly enough to know why they were chatting away like Jay birds with each other. 

When it got to be his turn to tell them about himself, he told them, "Me mum's a witch and me dad's dead. I never knew him so I don't feel bad about it. I've been to muggle schools so I don't know too much about magic, only what me mum's taught me, and that's been mostly about potions. Me mum's really good at brewing up potions for all kinds of ailments and such." 

One of the two girls informed them, "My brother says that the potions teacher is really mean. My name is Samantha Whitby but everyone calls me Sam, and I like it so please call me Sam. My family is magical back for ages, and most have all gone to Hagwarts. Most of us have been Hufflepuff so I expect to be too. Hard work and dedication that my family's motto." 

The other girl had already told them her name but she spoke so fast that Toby wasn't sure what her last name was. Charla was a thin dark skinned girl who's ancestry was clearly mixed. She was the nervous one, very quick movements and she changed subjects so quickly Toby wasn't sure what she was ever talking about. "My family's all been Ravenclaw. I'm sure I will be too." But she said it so fast that it almost sounded like one word. 

Zack was the other boy, but he said very little. "My family has always been in Slytherin, and I know I will be too." He informed them loftily his expression disdainful and pinched as if it hurt him to even speak to them. 

The two girls looked away from Zack and didn't look back at him for the rest of the trip. "What about you Toby what house do you think you'll be in?" Sam asked him curiously. 

"Well me mum was in Hufflepuff, she told me about the sorting hat and all. But I don't know much about me dad. Seems he worked for the Ministry of Magic, all hush, hush sort of thing. No one ever says much about him so I don't know what house he was in, or anything else about him." 

Charla voiced a quick "Weird." Then they were all silent for a while. 

A very nice witch came to their compartment door and asked if they wanted anything off the trolley. Charla bought several sweets and so did Zack, but Sam only bought one pumpkin pasty. Toby would have liked to try the sweets but he knew he dare not. Finally he settled for two apples and two pears. He knew Sam was hungry so he got out his pocket knife and carefully cut the apples into many slices. He was careful to offer slices to everyone, but neither Zack or Charla wanted any, they were too busy with their sweets. Sam ended up taking several slices, and when he said he couldn't eat his second pear she took it and ate it hungrily. 

Charla wanted to know, "Why can't you eat sweets Toby?" 

"It makes me hyper. When I was in muggle school the teachers would never allow me to eat the sweets the other kids got. I'm used to it now. It's just one of those things some boys have a problem with. I'm just glad they never had to make me take any of those drugs. Of course me mum had a potion I had to drink every day when I was little. Now it's not so bad. I hardly ever get hyper anymore. Me mum says I'll grow out of it some day, and then it won't bother me anymore. Sometimes I wish I could eat the sweets like the other kids, but I know better so I don't. Oh well." he shrugged his shoulders in resignation. 

They chatted back and forth the rest of the afternoon and Toby was always careful to include Zack in their conversations, even though he acted as if he didn't care Toby could feel that he did want to be part of their group. It was growing dark as the Hogwarts Express began to slow, The nice Witch came by, and told them to get their things together, and get ready to get off the train. "Now you first years stay together. Hagrid will be waiting for you so you be sure to go with him. Don't worry about your trunks or pets. They will be taken up to the school for you." She let them know as she moved on to tell others. 

Sam told them quickly. "Hagrid is a half-Giant so we won't have any trouble seeing him. He teaches 'Care of Magical Creatures'." 

Once the train had stopped they filed out of their compartment, and then off the train. Sure enough emerging out of the steam from the Engine came a huge man. His beard went every which way and he wore a tremendous over coat. Toby was sure he could feel the ground shake as each of the mans high toped boots thumped to the ground. "First Years, First Years, all First Years come with me." He bellowed thunderously. 

They lined up behind Hagrid and he lead them down from the platform and off into the dark. His lantern their only light. They ended up at a beach were small boats were lined up in a row waiting for them. "Four to a boat." Hagrid told them "Only four to a boat." 

Zack, Sam, Charla, and Toby climbed into one boat, and waited as Hagrid had to find places for several of the kids. "Some kids just never listen." Charla sputtered. 

Hagrid the Half-Giant finally got everyone into the boats, then he sat down in one boat all by himself, and pulled a very dilapidated umbrella out of his coat and waving it he muttered something and all the boats headed out onto the lake from the beach. They formed a long line and slid quietly out across the lake. It was so quiet that Toby could hear frogs crocking, and he watched in fascination as fireflies flew everywhere above the black water. They could see the School lit up like a Fairy Tail Castle the lights twinkling almost hypnotically. 

Toby had never been out on water before but he found the feeling of gliding motion stimulating not scary. Something splashed near their boat so Toby looked over the side into the water. There swimming along almost under them was a huge squid. Toby had seen pictures of Squids before but never a real one. It swam along beside them making ripples in the water occasionally as it jetted along. To be polite Toby waved to the Squid and to his surprise it waved back at him. 

"My name is Toby." He told it as they continued along. 

The Squid wobbled up and down as if nodding. "Who are you talking too?" Charla demanded looking at him suspiciously. 

"The Squid that's swimming beside us." Toby told her still watching the Squid which had now come up to the surface, It's big glowing eyes now even with the side of the boat watching him curiously. 

Charla screamed and Zack stood up in fear. Their boat started to flip over but the Squid grabbed it and steadied it until Zack and Charla sat back down. "Make it go away, make it go away!" Both Zack and Charla demanded together. 

"I guess you're making them scared." Toby told the Squid apologetically. "I think things would go better if you didn't swim so close to our boat. I mean it's Ok by me but they're scared of you." 

The Squid hissed at Charla and Zack "Sisssome Peoplessss... Sssseee yousss Tobiussss." 

Toby thought that was very friendly of the Squid so he shouted after it, "I'll come visit you when I can. See ya." Still he wondered how did it know his full name was Tobius? Hadn't he told it his name was Toby? 

Sam had sat beside him without a word the whole time. She looked at Zack and Charla discussedly. "The Squid has lived here for so long that nobody remembers when he came. My brother says the Weasley twins tickle its tentacles and play with it all the time. You shouldn't get scared so easily. There are lots of strange and wonderful things we are going to learn about here at Hogwarts. My brother says the things in the Forbidden Forest are the worst. But were not allowed to go in there anyway." 

Toby decided he liked Sam. She didn't get all excited or scream and jump about. And most of all she seemed to know a whole lot more about stuff than he did. He decided he'd stay as close to her as he could if only so she could answer the questions so he wouldn't look so stupid. 

As their boat followed Hagrid along with the others Toby watched as the School came closer and closer. As they were almost to the walls of the Castle Hagrid bellowed out, "Watch ur heads, it's a mite low right here." 

They all ducked as their boat followed Hagrid's under a ivy covered archway and into a dark tunnel. It was colder and very damp inside the tunnel, but they quickly came to a bumping stop on a beach under the School. "Wow this is cool." Sam exclaimed looking about as they followed the rest of the First Years up a stairway and into a entry way. Hagrid pounded on a heavy wooden door and it quickly open. "I brought the First Years Professor McGonagall. They're all ur's now." 

A tall very prim older Witch stood in the doorway looking them over. "Very good Hagrid, I'll take them from here. Follow me please and stay together. No talking please." 

They were lead down a short hall into a large room. "Wait here until I come for you. As soon as they are ready I will lead you through those door where you will meet your fellow classmates. You will be sorted into one of four houses, where you will reside for the next seven years while you are here at Hogwarts. If you do well you can earn points for your house and at the end of the year your house could win the House cup. If on the other hand you break the rules you will lose points for your house and you could be the reason that your house loses the house cup." She gave them all a good look then turned and left them. 

"I wonder if we'll see any of the ghosts?" Sam whispered to them. 

"Ghost!?" Charla exclaimed shuddering. "No body told me anything about any ghost!" 

"Shush." Sam whispered loudly. "All the houses have a teacher as head of house and a ghost. Most of the ghosts are very helpful if you get lost or need to know where something is. But watch out for Peeves. My brother says he's terrible and does terrible things to First Years. If you meet him never ask him how to find anything cus he will never tell you the right way." 

The other student were grumbling and whispering amongst themselves as they waited. Twice ghostly heads stuck out the wall between them and the Great Hall and looked them all over. Toby had the feeling that one of the ghosts looked right at him and nodded, but keeping the lesson of the Squid in mind he merely smiled but didn't say anything. He had no idea what the other kids would think of him if he talked to both Squids and Ghosts. 

The Prim Witch returned and told them. "Follow me please into the Great Hall, and up the central aisle to the front then stay in line until I call your name." 

As they trooped through the tall double doors into the Great Hall Toby was thrilled to see the complex magic displayed in the room. Candles floating in the air high above the tables. The ceiling of the hall looked just like the out doors. But there were more subtle magics in use in the room. The tables, the dishes set on the tables the walls everything about the Great Hall spoke to Toby of magics so old that some of them were long forgotten. The room was alive with magic. He stood in line in a daze listening to the stories embedded in the stones of the Hall. 

He barely heard the Sorting Hat sing it's song. He saw none of the First Years in front of him sorted into there houses, only Professor McGonagall calling his name for the third time did he come out of his transfixed state. Slowly he walked up to the stool and climbed up on it. Professor McGonagall was starring at him strangely as she lowered the old floppy hat upon his head. 

"Hummm." Said a voice in his head. "You are going to be a challange. Well Tobius you have qualities that could qualify you for any of the houses. I could put you in Slytherin." 

"No thank you Mr. Hat." Toby thought back. "They don't strike me as being very nice. I like Sam. She is very nice and smart too. I'd like to be in her house Mr. Hat if you please." 

"Are you quite sure?" The hat thought back at him. "After all you could be in Gryfindore where they would help you find much glory and fame." The Hat asked him. 

"I do not think I would like glory all that much Mr. Hat. No thank you." He responded politely to the Hat. 

"In Ravenclaw then." The Hat suggested. "Where the very quickest and the brightest go." 

"Sam is very smart did you put her in Ravenclaw?" Toby asked curiously. 

"No she belongs in Hofflepuff." The Hat assured him. 

"Then perhaps quickness and brightness are a bit over rated." Toby reasoned. "Charla is very quick, but I think Sam is much smarter than she is. Did you put Charla in Ravenclaw?" 

"Yes she belongs in Ravenclaw." The Hat informed him. 

Toby waited quietly for the Hat to make up it's mind. "Your sure about this decision of yours then?" The Hat asked one more time testing him. Toby knew now that the hat had been measuring him in some strange way. 

"Yes Mr. Hat." Toby decided firmly. "I wish to be in Sam's house." 

"Then you shall be in HOFFLEPUFF!" The Hat cried out loudly for all to hear. 

The Hat was lifted form his head. Every eye in the Great Hall was on him as he climbed down off the stool. Toby didn't know what to do now he just stood there looking back at everyone. "Over there Tibius." Professor McGonagall pointed to a table. She was looking at him even more strangely than before. 

Toby headed over to the Hofflepuff table and spotted Sam waving to him to hurry and sit beside her. "What took so long?" She whispered as the next First Year was sorted. "You were under the hat for ever so long." 

"The Hat was asking me questions about which house I wanted to be in. I kept telling him that I wanted to be in your house so he finally let me. I think he was testing me some how. Did he ask you all sorts of questions too?" Toby wondered. 

Sam smiled with pleasure at his insistence to be with her, but she told him. "No, it didn't say a word to me. I don't think it spoke to my brother either. But when I get the chance I'll ask him about it. He's a Prefect this year so he's up at the other end of the table now." 

The sorting came to an end and Professor Mcgonagall took away the Sorting hat and the stool. Albus Dumbledore stood up and spoke to everyone. "Last year as most of you know one of our students was murdered by Lord Voltemort. The faculty and I have spent the Holidays working out new security measures for the school. We will have Quidich this year. However if there are any problems during the games we are prepared to cancel the games for this year. The Ministry of Magic will be assigning security personnel out here as well as the extra precautions that we will be taking in the School. 

The main point that all of you have to remember is simply this, NO student is to leave the school buildings unless accompanied by a member of the faculty. There will be no visits to Hogsmead at all by any students. Under no circumstance what so ever will any student leave his house common room or dormitories after hours. This rule will be strictly enforced. Any student found outside the School without an escort will be expelled immediately. Any student found out side his or her common room after hours will be expelled and sent home. There will be no exceptions. Prefects and the Head boy and Girl are not excepted, and they are expected to maintain order in their house. I do not want to lose another student this year. Especially not because of rules breaking. Your Prefects will go over the other rules changes with you when you get to your common rooms. Now let the feast begin." 

Toby didn't know anything about a student being killed, but his mother had told him about Lord Voltemort and how horrible he was. If the teachers and the Ministry were taking extra precautions to keep such a monster out of the school then Toby approved. He watched thrilled as the plates in front of him filled with food. He was sure he could feel the food coming from somewhere nearby but that didn't matter so much as the eating of the food. He was starved and it was obvious that so was Sam. 

Toby became aware that he was being watched. Sam was busy telling him all about Cedric Diggory and how he had been one of the school champions, how Harry Potter had gotten to be a school champion too when he shouldn't have and how in the end it had been Harry who had brought Cedric's body back from some kind of horrible rites where Cedric had been killed and Harry had been bled nearly to death and his leg broken as well. "They won't tell everything of course." Sam confided to him. "But my brothers says it was so horrible that Harry was in the school's infirmary for several day recovering. My brother says that Harry and Cedric helped each other to win, but for some reason Voltemort killed Cedric, then when he tried to kill Harry he couldn't." 

Out of the corner of his eyes Toby was keeping an eye on one of the Ghosts. It was watching him continuously. To keep the conversation going Toby ask Sam. "Why couldn't Voltemort kill Harry? I don't understand why he could kill one but not the other." 

"That's the question everyone has been asking for years. You see way back when Harry was a baby Lord Voltemort killed Harry's mom and dad. But when he tried to kill Harry too he couldn't the spell backfired and Lord Voltemort was almost killed. Many thought he was dead, but now we know he wasn't. Voltemort came to the school during Harry's first year here and tried to kill him again but he couldn't. 

Lord Voltemort has been trying to kill Harry ever since, but they say even Harry doesn't know why. All we know is that every time he's tried Harry has survived, and Voltemort has been made a fool of." 

"Which one is Harry?" 

"He's the dark headed boy at the next table with glasses on. "Sam pointed to him for Toby. Harry was looking straight at Toby when he found him at the other table. Their eyes meet and Toby nodded, Harry nodded back. They looked at each other a moment more then Toby looked back at Sam. "Can you keep a secret Sam? I mean really keep it?" 

Sam looked at the serious expression on Toby's face and nodded. "I can if you want me too Toby." 

Toby leaned forward and whispered to Sam. "Lord Voltemort killed my dad too. There was something only my dad could do and Voltemort wanted my dad to do it for him, but my dad refused and Voltemort killed him." ( actualy Voltemort didn't kill Toby's dad a group of Deatheaters did, but Toby doesn't know that yet )

"Oh Toby! I'm sorry. I shouldn't have told you all that stuff about Cedric and Harry then, I'm really sorry!" 

Toby shook his head. "It's ok Sam I'm glad you did. Now I know that I'm not the only one, but Sam who is that ghost over at the far table that keeps staring at me?" 

Sam glance over in the direction Toby indicated. She shuddered. "He's the Slytherin ghost, they call him the Bloody Baron." 

"He's been staring at me from the time I sat down here. It's making me feal creepy." 

"Our house ghost is the Fat Friar. My Brother says he's really nice." Sam assured him. 

"How nice of you to say so." Said a voice right behind them. 

Both of them twisted around to see who was talking to them. The Ghost that floated behind them beamed at them in a fatherly way. "I was passing by when you mentioned me." He told them. "Your brother is a Prefect this year isn't he?" He asked Sam. 

"Yes sir he is. I'm Sam and this is Toby." Sam add. 

"Well how nice it is to meet both of you. I'm sure we will get on famously, and if you have any questions or there is anything I can help you with be sure to let me know." The Friar generously offered. 

"There is one thing Sir." Sam quickly asked before the Friar could float away. "The Bloody Baron keeps staring at Toby do you know why?" 

The Friar looked over at the Baron, and sure enough he was still staring at Toby. "I don't know why he would be so rude. I'll just float over and ask him politely to stop." 

A few minutes latter the Friar returned to them and he wasn't smiling. "Oh my, oh my." The Friar was wringing his hands. "The Baron was very rude to me, and told me to mind my own business. When I explained that he was upsetting you he laughed and said you should be upset. I don't know what has gotten into him being so rude to a student, but I believe that I will have a word with Dumbledore about this. With all the worry about Lord Voltemort and all we ghosts have been asked to keep a special watch over you students, and we certainly can't have a house ghost intimidating a student now can we?" 

Toby wasn't sure what all that meant but he certainly hoped the Baron wasn't mad at him or something, although for the life of him he couldn't think of anything he could have done to make a ghost mad at him. Especially one he didn't even know. "Thank you sir, but please I don't want to be any trouble to you." He told the Friar. 

"Oh no trouble don't worry I will be discreet, but still and all we must maintain our decorum before the students. It's bad enough with Peeves making so much trouble." With that the Ghost moved on down the table to talk with some of the other students. 

"I don't know what to think about all this." Sam told him quietly as she continued to eat. 

"Me either, but lets not worry about it. Ok? We will have enough to do to stay up with our school work and all. I don't think a ghost can do much anyway." Toby decided. 

"I hope your right Toby." Sam agreed. "Classes start tomorrow so we will need a good night's sleep." 

There wasn't much for desert that Toby could eat, but he didn't care he was so full from all the other good food that all he had were a few grapes and some strawberries. Then Dumbledore stood up and spoke to them again. "There will be some changes made in the classes and the schedules, you will all receive your revised schedules in the morning. We will have a new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher this year, but she isn't here this evening so I will introduce her in the morning. Again I must stress the importance of obeying the rules they are for your protection and I assure you they are very important. Now would the Prefects of each house lead your First Years to your common rooms. Allow them a few minutes to get there before the rest of you leave. Have a very good year." 

Sam's brother lead them out of the Great Hall and up a stairway and down another hall then they all walked up to a small closet. Sam's Brother whispered "Twidelsticks" and the back of the closet opened into a large room. The center of the room had a dozen or so tables with benches where Toby supposed they would study and do their homework. All around the walls were spaced large fireplaces, and grouped around each fireplace were a half a dozen overstuffed chairs. There were many portraits on the walls and lots of candle holders spaced all around the room for light. All in all the room was very homey looking. 

Sam grabbed Toby's hand and dragged him over to her brother. "Toby this is my brother Jayson and, Jay this is my new friend Toby." She introduced them to each other. 

Jay looked Toby over then smiled. "Well Sis I'm glade you found a friend already. Toby what do you think of Hogwarts so far?" 

"It is the most amazing place I have ever seen. To tell the truth I don't know what to think. Ghosts, a magical hall full of magical people, so much good food, and I already found a new friend. I think I'm going to like it here a lot." Toby told him enthusiasticly. 

"Good, you'll do just fine." Then Jay turned to the rest of the First Years and told them. "All of you First Years listen up! Girls dormitories are through the doors to the left and up the stairway. Boys are to the right and up that stairway. Each dorm has five beds and you will find your names posted outside of your dorm. You will keep the same dorm for the next seven years so get used to it. At the landing on the second floor are the baths, toilets and stores. You will find cupboards with pajamas and for the girls nightgowns. There are all sizes so you don't have to worry about that. Everyone is to take a bath every night, brush your teeth and wash your hair as often as needed. You are expected to put on clean pajamas every night and clean clothes every morning. 

The house elves will take care of your laundry and will mend your clothes as needed. They are very good and very reliable. No one is to go to breakfast in dirty clothing. You will lose our house points if one of the teachers or a prefect or the Head boy or girl catch you, and you will be sent back to your dormitory to change. Personal hygiene is mandatory. All of your needs will be provided for you here at Hogwarts so never be negligent about taking care of your selves. 

Tamara Clearwater is our girl Prefect she will take you girls up to your dormitories, and make sure you know where everything is. I will take you boys up our stairs and make sure each of you finds your bed and knows were everything is, now girls fallow Tammy and boys fallow me." 

Toby's dormitory only had three other boys in it. "Sometimes this happens. The Sorting Hat puts students where they belong so this year there will be only four of you. Now get to know each other and get along. Remember take a bath and brush your teeth. I'll see all of you in the morning. 

Toby's Dormmates were a mixed lot. Toby got the bed furthest from the door, and next to him a boy from Hampshire named Orion Holum. Next to Orion was a dark skinned boy of African ancestry name Guy West. The bed next to him was taken by a boy of Asian ancestry named Tie Chie. They all hurried down to the bath room and showered and brushed their teeth as instructed. Then they hurried back up the three flights of stairs to their dorm. 

Back in their room Toby saw that his trunk was now at the foot of his bed. On top of his trunk in her cage was his pet Ocelot Sheba. He quickly opened the cage and let her out. The other boys stepped back and watched cautiously. She stepped out and stretched, then looked up at him curiously. He knew what she wanted and told her. "There are sand boxes on every floor Sheba, so take your pick. Someone has put out bowls of water and dried food too, and I'm sure that in the morning we can get some meat for you as well. 

Orion watched Sheba out the door a half scared look on his face. He asked Toby. "Is she safe? I mean she won't bit us or anything will she?" 

"Nope. Sheba has never bitten or scratched a kid in the five years that I've had her. But once a muggle burglar broke into our home, and they had to take him to the hospital to stitch him back together. My mom wouldn't do any magic to heal him either. She said it served him right for breaking into our home. She won't hurt owls or other pets either, but she hates pests, and she is better than any guard dog." 

They sat around and talked for a few minutes until Sheba returned then Guy asked. "Can I pet her, she looks so sleek and smooth." 

Sheba had jumped up on the bed with Toby and was laying half on and half off of his legs. "Sure she loves to be petted, and her ears scratched too." 

Guy came over and tentatively reached out to pet Sheba. She arched her head up to rub against his hand and purred loudly. "She is friendly, and she does feel smooth her fur is just like satin, She purrs so loud too it buzzes my hand." Guy laughed. 

The others had to come over and take a turn petting Sheba each of them curious to see what so big a cat would feel like. 

Ten minutes latter they all climbed into bed and Tie turned out the lights. Sheba snuggled up beside Toby and purred contentedly. The last thing Toby thought before he drifted off was, 'would Sam like Sheba?' He hoped so. 

Sometime during the night Toby woke up, to a different sound from Sheba. She was growling deep in her throat. Looking up to see what had her so mad Toby saw the ghost called the Baron above him staring at him again. Sheba stood up and her fur rose up and spiked up as she expressed her anger at the ghost disturbing them. As her hair stood on end it began to glow with blue fox-fire. In seconds Sheba had turned completely blue. Then suddenly she hissed and spit at the ghost. Blue fire shot upwards and hit the ghost full in the face. Pooooofff ! The ghost disappeared. 

Toby looked out of his curtains to make sure the ghost had really left, Sheba stuck her head out too looking around to be sure as well. "Good girl." He told her as they settled back down. "That darn ghost will think twice before he comes back to mess with us." 

Sheba snorted contemptuously then went back to her purring. 

  
  
Go to Chapter 2 The First Day.  
  


Click here to E-Mail Michael if you have any comments. 

  


  
  
  
  


© 2001 M V Stevens. This site is an independent Harry Potter fan website. It is in no way related to J.K. Rowling, Mary Grand Pre, Scholastic, Bloomsbury or Arthur A. Levine Books or Warner Bros. Films all of whom own rights to the commercial exploitation of Harry Potter. That's their job. From what I've seen of the trailer for the Harry Potter movie, Warner Bros. is doing a great job and I look forward to seeing the movie. I want no monetary gain from my web site and I intend no infringement to anyone's rights. 


	2. The first Day.

**Tobius, a Hogworts Adventure **  
by M V Stevens  


  
  
This story contains Charactors and places which were  
created by J.K.Rowling and is Fan Fiction.  
  
**Chapter 2 The First Day.**   
  
Morning arrived as it always does, and there were many groans and yawns as they climbed out of their beds and dressed for their first day of school. It was raining out side so Toby put on a pair of jeans and a sweater along with his Hogwarts robe. Hair combed and faces and hands washed they headed down the stairs to go to breakfast. Sheba strolled along with Toby into the Hofflepuff common room. 

Sam was already there waiting for him so Toby told the boys he'd see them at breakfast and hurried over to Sam. Sam was sitting in one of the overstuffed chairs facing away from Toby so she didn't see Sheba right away. At least not tell Sheba jumped into her lap and began rubbing her head on Sam's chin. To say that Sam was surprised to have a rather large cat jump into her lap would be putting it mildly. But she recovered quickly and began to pet her as Toby came into view. 

"I see Sheba has introduced herself to you." Toby greeted Sam. 

"Toby is she yours? Sheba..? She's beautiful." Sam managed as she petted the insistent Ocelot. 

"Actually it's the other was around. I'm her's. She's raising me. At lest that's how she looks at it. Just ask her." Toby told her. 

Sheba purred loudly in response to Toby's statement which made Sam laugh. "So you're her pet then I take it." 

"Something like that." Toby agreed. "I think it's more like I'm one of her kittens, a slow growing one at that." 

"We better get going to breakfast." Sam decided after petting Sheba a bit more. "Will she come with us?" "Sure she will." Toby assured Sam as they headed out through the Closet into the hall. 

They found there way to the Great Hall and found seats at their house table. Sheba hoped up on the bench between them and looked over the platters full of food. "I wish there were someone I could ask to get a bowl of meat for Sheba. She likes to have meat for breakfast." 

No sooner had he spoken then a bowl of chopped meat appeared right in front of Sheba. "Wow!" Both Sam and he said together. 

"I think Sheba is gona like it here too." Toby added as he and Sam filled their plates with pancakes, eggs, sausages, and ham." 

After they had all that they could eat their class schedules were passed out. Comparing their schedules they saw that they each had the same schedule. "That's good." Toby said with relief. "At lest one of us will know the answers." 

"Oh Toby, don't be silly. You'll do just fine. Watch and see. You will get just as good of grades as I will. If we study together well both know the answers. I just know you'll do well." Sam reassured him. 

"I hope so what's our first class?" "We have Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall. She's very strict but she is very good, so we should learn a lot from her." Sam informed him. 

They were leaving the Great Hall when Toby realized that he had no idea where their class was. When he told Sam she told him confidently. "Don't worry my brother drew maps for me to every class we could have for this year. I memorized them all. 

Guy came running up to them. "What class do you have Toby, we have Transfiguration. But we don't know how to get there." 

"Sam and I have Transfiguration too, and she knows how to get there. Get the others and come with us." Toby told him. When the other boys came running up Toby introduced them all to Sam. As it turned out Sam lead a whole group of the Hofflepuff and Ravenclaw first years to their first class. Sheba came along as well. She acted as if it was the most natural thing in the world for her to be going to class too. 

When they entered the high ceiling room the first thing they noticed was a gray cat sitting on the teachers desk. As they were filing by the cat watched them all closely. Sheba jumped up on the desk, rubbed her head against the gray cat's chin then lay down beside the gray cat watching the students file in. The room had several long tables with stools for all of them to sit on. Sam sat in the middle of the front table with Toby on one side of her, and Guy on the other. Orion sat on Toby's other side with Tie beside him. 

As soon as a couple of late arrivals made it in and found seats they were all astonished as the gray cat leaped off the desk and turned into their instructor, Professor McGonagall. "Good morning class she began. Transfiguration is one of the hardest yet most rewording subjects that you will learn. The art of turning one thing into another. And yes it is an art. Before we begin does anyone have a question?" 

One of the Ravenclaws stuck up her hand. "Yes mamma, is what you just did, turning from a cat into you, Transfiguration?" 

Several of the Students snickered at the question, which got them each a stern look from the Professor. "No it is not. That was my anamagus form. While it is similar in some ways to Transfiguration, it is also quite different. Any other questions?" 

When no one else put up their hand She pulled out a box of pins. She selected one and placed it on the table in front of Sam, she waved her wand in a deliberate pattern and said something. Toby couldn't hear the words she used because there was a loud rushing sound at the same time and it drowned out her words. The Professor's wand wove a glowing rune in the air above the pin and suddenly the pin turned into a mouse. The Professor picked the mouse up by the tail and it wiggled about as she showed it to the class. "This is your first assignment. You are to turn the pin I give you into a mouse. You will be graded on just how complete your transformation is. You may begin now." 

She had to show most of the students the wand movement again and again, but Toby knew it by heart. He loved runes and had memorized hundreds of them. This one was one he already knew, although he hadn't know it was for making pins into mice. Sam Tried the spell and her pin grew whiskers but that was about it. Guys pin turned into a worm, which the Professor had to turn back into a pin so he could try again. When the Professor got to Toby he had already done his wand movement and Sam and the others were all staring at him in awe. "Where is your pin Tobius?" She asked him looking around. 

Sam answered laughing. "It's over there on your desk Professor." 

The whole class was laughing now. There on her desk sat Sheba sitting up prim and straight her tail warped around her feet, and in her mouth was a nice fat mouse. "I see." Said the Professor walking over to Sheba. "I suppose you want to eat it now that you've caught it?" 

Sheba nodded slightly her eyes bright. "Very well, but you must take it out of the classroom to eat it, the other students need to concentrate on there wand work and your eating a mouse would assuredly distract them." 

Sheba jumped down off the desk and McGonagall opened the door for her to go outside the class. "Well one of you has it right now let's see if the rest of you can get it." 

By the end of the class Toby had managed to show Sam, and several other students how to make the rune. First he drew it on a piece of parchment then they each traced it out with their wand tips. Sam got it right off, and so did Tie, it took Orion and Guy a little longer but they all got it. 

As they were leaving Professor McGonagall asked him to wait a moment until the others had left. When the last of the students were out of the room she fixed Toby with a strange look. "The use of runes is a very advanced form of magic Tobius. How is it you know about it?" 

Toby thought about how he should answer not sure if he were in trouble or not. "When ever my mum did magic with her wand she always made a rune. I asked her about it one day and she told me what it was and what each of the runes meant. I always watched her friends when they came over to visit or if we visited them. I've learned over a hundred runes now. When you did your spell I saw the rune you made and just did the same thing. Is that wrong?" 

"You could see the rune as I made it in the air?" She asked him seriously. 

"Yes, I've always been able to see them, and their colors." Toby answered honestly. 

"Very well Tobius. That's all run along to your next class." 

"Professor did I do wrong?" He asked her worriedly. 

She looked him in the eye before answered him. "No, not wrong. It's just very unusual. That's all. Very unusual." 

Sam and the boys were waiting down the hall for him as he came running out to catch up with them. "Did ya get into trouble?" Orion asked excitedly, "she sure looked at you funny when we were leaving." 

"Nope, all she wanted to know is where I learned about runes, and I told her me mum taught me, so I guess it's Ok cus she didn't say anything against it." Toby confided with them. 

"We better get to our next class." Sam reminded them, and they hurried down the hall to their charms class. 

Professor Flitwick taught Charms. He was a vary short dwarfish sort of man, very old but seemed full of life and energy. He stood on his chair to take role and begin his instructions. "Charms are the tools you will learn to use to accomplish many, many of your goals for the future. If you take this subject seriously and apply yourselves you will be able to accomplish almost anything your heart desires. Can anyone tell me what the opposite of Charms are?" 

Sam put her hand up right away and the Professor smiled and said. "Yes. You have the answer?" 

"Yes sir, the opposite would be Curses." Sam told him confidently. 

"For the most part that is correct. The major difference between them is something called Ethics. Dose anyone know what that word means?" He asked them form his chair. 

Sam put her hand up again but he ignored her this time. "He looked around and noticed Toby trying to look inconspicuous and pointed at at him. "You young man with the rather large cat sitting beside him what are Ethics or what does it mean?" 

Toby could feel every eye in the room staring at him, even Sheba was looking up at him expectantly. His mind was a blank, until he remembered a conversation his mum had with one of her friends. They had been talking about using a potion to make someone love someone else, and Toby's mum had refused to make it. She had said it was wrong to do that, and it was unethical. 

"Er, I think it means knowing when it is right or wrong to do something especially if it involves someone else." 

Professor Flitwick smiled and nodded. "Bravo, for you and 5 points for Hofflepuff. That is exactly right. Do any of us have the right to make someone do things that they would normally not do. Especially if we know that they do not want to do it. The answer lies in the difference between Curses and Charms. As far as this Class is concerned and I myself believe none of us have that right. I know that others disagree, but if you want to pass this class you will learn the difference." 

He looked the class over then continued. "Can any of you tell me the name of a Charm?" 

Sam put her hand up high again. 

"Yes young lady tell us one." 

"Titillandus, sir." Sam answered frowning. 

"Ah the Tickling Charm. Let me guess, your brother has on occasion used that Charm on you?" 

"Yes sir he has." Sam answered still frowning. 

"Perhaps I should take 5 points away from Hofflepuff for the unethical use of a charm?" He asked Sam smiling. 

"Ah, no sir I wouldn't want that. I got even with him for it, so no it isn't necessary sir." Sam assured the smiling Professor. 

"Very good... I think. Ah hemm... Anyone else know a charm?" 

Toby stuck up his hand. 

"Yes young man can you tell us the name of a Charm?" 

"Yes sir. Two in fact because they go together. The first is 'Dormintus Sinorous', and the other is' Dormintus Tranquilus'." Toby spoke the names carefully. 

"Ah yes, two very useful Charms, do your parents work in the medical field by some chance?" He asked Toby his shaggy eyebrows raised. 

"Me mum sir. She does potions, and some spells to help folks." Toby admitted carefully. 

"Your last name wouldn't be Wright would it... of course it is I call it out just a few minutes ago. I know your mother very well. She is a fine woman and true healer. Tell us Tobius Wright what do those two spells do? Why are they so important to a healer?" 

"Dormintus Sinorus, make's someone in pain go to sleep so what ever is wrong with them can be fixed. The other is good for people who are really worried about a sick person or so worried that they are making themselves sick. Dormintus Tranquilus makes you feel really calm and good." 

"Can you do either of the Charms Tobius?" The Professor asked seriously. 

"Yes sir, I had to help me mum lots of times with her patients." 

"Show the class the effects of the Dormintus Tranquilus." The Professor requested with a curious expression on his face. 

Toby got out his wand and carefully traced the rune in the air, saying the words at the same time. "Dormintus Tranquilus." 

Suddenly everyone in the room felt all their worries or frights slip away and a wonderful tranquillity come over them. Professor Flitwick let them all bask in the glow of total peace then he used his own wand and stopped the Charm. 

"Excellently done Tobius. Your mother has taught you very well indeed. Class that spell is one of the hardest Charms to learn to do right. It is very easy to over do it and put everyone to sleep, happily I might add, but none the less asleep. Excellent Tobius, five points to Hofflepuff for excellence." Professor Flitwick beamed with pride and satisfaction at Toby's performance. 

Professor Flitwick talked through the rest of his time about the different classes of Charms and how they were related to certain Curses. When it was time to leave he smiled at Toby as he left. 

"What have we got next?" Toby asked Sam. 

"Double Potions." She read off her schedule. 

"Is that hard?" Orion wanted to know as Sam lead them down several stairways and across four hallways and then down into the Dungeons. 

"It is if you don't have a good memory." Sam told them. "And the teacher is so strict that you better never mess up. He takes points away so fast most houses loss the cup in his class. So pay attention and don't talk unless he calls on you. My brother says he's lost more points to Professor Snape than to all the other teachers combined." 

Toby was glad he had put on a sweater that morning, because it was cold in the potions classroom. Professor Snape was tall and had black hair and black eyes that seemed to see all the way through you. He called role and stopped at several names giving several students cold looks. He didn't stop at Toby's name which was a relief, he did at Sam's. "Another Whitby, I see. Well I hope you pay more attention than your brother did." He commented as he continued the role. 

Snape began by giving them a speech about Potions and how he could teach them all how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death. That is he could if they weren't all the dunderheads that he usually got. 

"What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" Snape began looking over the class coldly. 

Everyone looked at the floor except Toby he knew the answer because his mum did it all the time. "You there you look like you might have a glimmering of an idea... What would I get?" 

Toby had been the center of attention in two classes already, but he didn't want to lie and say he didn't know so he answered. "You would be making a sleeping potion sir." 

Snap looked Toby over carefully then asked him," If I am using a bezoar where did I get it, and what would I be doing with it?" 

"Er, you would have gotten it from the stomach of a goat sir, and you would be treating someone for poisoning." 

"You surprise me young man." Snape stared at Toby appraisingly. "If I mixed Monkshood and Wolfsbane what would I get?" 

Toby was surprised at the question since they were the same thing. But he knew the right answer. "You would get aconite sir." 

"A very clever answer Mr. Wright. How is it you come to know all these things, I wonder?" 

"Me mum taught me Sir. I help her with her potions most all the time." Toby admitted. 

"Your Mother taught you." Professor Snape said slowly. "And your mother makes potions. Was your mothers maiden name Figg?" 

"Yes sir it was." Toby admitted hesitantly not knowing where all this was going. 

"Then I expect good things from you Tobius Wright, son of Arabella Wright. Very good things." Snape came as close to smiling as he ever had in years. Then he turned to the class, his cold demeanor back in place. "I hope you all took notes, at the end of the class there will be a test. Now lets move on to how to set up your caldrons and adjust the burner properly so you don't burn out the bottom of your caldrons." 

There was a look of blind panic on almost everyone's face. Everyone that is except Sam who had in fact taken notes. Fortunately for, Guy, Orion, and Tie she made copies and slipped them to each of them when Snape turned to write on the black board. Sam's notes made their way around the class when ever Snape was writing on the black board, so that the Ravenclaws and Hofflepuffs all got a chance to copy them. 

At the end of class Snape stopped Sam as she was going out. "I know your notes got passed around my class. It is commendable that you alone in the class even bothered to take notes, but if you do that again I will take five points from Hofflepuff is that clear young lady?" 

"Yes Sir and I'm sorry Sir, and I won't do that again Sir." Sam sputtered white faced. 

But her reply was to empty air. Professor Snape had already turned and walked away. 

It was lunch time at last. They hurried up out of the chilly dungeons and back through the hallways to the Great Hall where many of the students were already busy eating. They all sat at one end of the Hofflepuff table and talked happily as they enjoyed there noon meal. 

"That Snape is sure mean." Orion commented between mouth fulls of peanut butter and jelly sandwich and potato chips. 

"Ya I thought sure you were a goner when he stopped you Sam." Guy told her a worried look on his face. 

"I told you he was mean. My brother says he can see us even when his back is turned. I guess today proves he can. We have to all be very careful in his class, or we might lose points for our house, and we don't want to do that. We have a good chance this year to take the House Cup, after all Toby has already gotten us some points today." 

"Sure but we nearly lost them in Snape's class." Guy pointed out. "You're right about having to be careful in his class from now on. He'll be watching us for sure." 

Toby ate his peanut butter and banana sandwich and drank his chocolate milk. There were lots of grapes and other fruit to eat, so Toby had plenty to chose from. The Elves seemed to know about his not eating any sugar because there were never any dishes of sweets in front of his plate. He always had plenty of fruit and other natural things to eat though. 

"What is our next class Sam." Tie asked searching through his own backpack for his schedule. 

Sam pulled her schedule out and glanced at it then frowned. "We have Care of Magical Creatures with Hagrid." 

"What's the frown for? Is he mean like Snape or something?" Toby asked her curious as to why that would make her frown. 

"Not exactly mean. He's just so big and he brings really dangerous creatures for the class sometimes. Once they say he brought some Griffins and one of them nearly tore a boy's arm off. He goes into the Forbidden Forest too, and he has this really huge dog named Fang that scares all the students, and lots of times there are dead things hanging on his ceiling in his hut. They even say he tried to raise a baby dragon right here at Hogwarts, can you believe that a real dragon." 

The others were all hanging on her every word as she told them of Hagrid's exploits. Privately Toby was thinking that this Hagrid was a very interesting person, but since Sam was clearly of a different opinion he kept his thoughts to himself. Since it was raining outside they all ran back to their dorms and got their rain gear and then ran back to the big double front doors were they were to meet Hagrid. 

Sheba had been sleeping on his bed when Toby came in the dorm and he had told her, "We're going outside Sheba, and it's raining, but I'm sure you'll be welcome to come along if you like." 

Sheba got up stretched, then jumped down and fallowed him back down the stairway and out to the hall. Hagrid was there waiting for them as they ran up to him and the rest of the class. Some of the students hadn't got their rain gear so Hagrid had to send them back to their dorms to get it. "Ur should hav known to get ur rain stuff. I shouldn't hav ta tell ya. Ur not babies anymore so from now on make sure ur prepared for the weather." 

Hagrid had brought his dog Fang with him and as soon as Sheba saw him she ran up to him and began rubbing her head against his legs and walking around under him purring. Fang looked like he couldn't believe his eyes as the large cat purred against his legs. Hagrid caught sight of Sheba started to say something then looked again and watched Sheba with a bemused look on his face. 

"Well Fang It sure looks like you got yourself a new friend." Hagrid laughed at Fangs surprised look. "Who's cat is that anyway it's not a breed I ever seen before? Too big to be a house cat." 

Toby spoke up, "she's an Ocelot Sir, and I'm her's." 

Hagrid laughed loudly at Toby's joke and told him. "That's the truth of it lad some of em do take it that way. An Ocelot? Well she is a pretty one isn't she. She's welcome to come along since she likes Fang so much." 

While they waited for the other students to return with their rain gear, Hagrid was eyeing Toby. "Aren't you the lad that was talking to the squid last night?" 

"Yes sir." Toby was very much aware that all eyes were now on him. 

Hagrid saw how they were all staring at Toby and quickly changed the subject. "All right now everyone stick together. It's raining out side but none of ya will melt or anything. Come along now." 

Hagrid opened the big tall double doors effortlessly and waved everyone outside. The rain wasn't very hard so no one complained to much. He lead them around to the side of the Castle that was Hogwarts. The walls were ivy covered and so sold looking that the School might just have been a natural formation, if it weren't for all the windows and doors. Surrounding the Castle on every side except the lake side were huge tall walls. It was clear that the School had been built inside a fortress. The lawns were meticulously cared for as well as all the flowers, tress and shrubs. Inside the walls it was more like being in a park than a school. 

Hagrid lead them past his house, a strange looking place to live indeed with it's pointed roof, high foundations, and it's round walls. Behind his house were large gardens, and then a rather large corral. Waiting for them out side the Corral were two beautiful unicorns. A mother and her foal. "Now stay back tell I tell ya it's ok to come up to um. There real easy to spook so move slowly and make sure they can see yr hands at all times. Other wise they'll disappear faster en lightning." 

The Mother watched them as they approached but the foal clearly wanted to meet them and play. She pranced and stepped playfully as each group of students were allowed to approach and pet them. The girls got to go first because Unicorns will trust girls much faster than boys. Sam got to go up and pet the foal in the first group. She feed it some sugar cubes and from thin on it was her friend. The Mother snorted at the foal not to be so trusting but like most young the foal chose to ignore it's mother and play with these new friends. When it was Toby's turn to go up to the pair, he first went up to the Mother and touched her gently. She eyed him warily and nickered at him. "I won't hurt you." He told her. 

She nickered again and plainly asked Toby, "And just how am I supposed to know that you won't hurt me or my foal?" 

Without thinking Toby answered her. "I'm just a kid, how could I want to hurt you or your foal, you're so beautiful it takes my breath away just looking at you." 

Apparently this was just the thing to say to female unicorn because she turned to him and nuzzled against him, then answered. "You are polite and you do say the nicest things. And it is true you are much smaller than the big one over there. We unicorns trust Hagrid because he has helped us many times in the past. That is why I came today with my foal because he asked. You also seem very kind. Would you like to ride on my back through the woods? I can run very fast and it would be a very thrilling ride I am sure." 

Toby would have loved nothing better, but... "We are forbidden to go into the forest. But I can think of nothing in the whole world I would love more than riding on your back as fast as the wind through the forest. Forgive me but I must say no to your kind offer." 

She nuzzled him again. "I understand. It is not safe for the young in the forest. My foal must stay by me at all times when we enter the forest. Very well then. For now we will forgo our run through the forest but someday we will have our run. What are you called?" 

"I'm called Toby, will you tell me your name?" 

"Ah now that would be a very risky thing indeed for me to do. Our names are kept secret so that others may not gain power over us." She told him seriously. 

"I understand and it is best that you stay safe, and your foal." Toby agreed. But as she turned past him she whispered in his ear, "my name is another word for a gentle wind." 

Toby's eyes widened as he understood her. "Some day then we will have our run." 

The foal was playing with the others in the class, and her antics were so cute that no one had noticed Toby's conversation with the mother. No one that is except Hagrid. When it came to magical creatures nothing escaped his watchful eyes, and he already had Toby pegged as someone to watch. Not in a bad way but in an interested way. 

Toby was different and Hagrid knew it. Unicorns almost never trusted a human. It had taken Hagrid years to gain the trust of the Unicorns. Not once had one spoken to him. In fact he hadn't even known they could speak tell today. There was something very special about this lad and he wanted to find out what it was. But not yet. First he wanted Toby to trust him then they would talk. Young Charley Weasley had been another special one, but his love was of the dragons, now here was a lad who had talked to a squid and a Unicorn in the space of two days. 

When the time was up Hagrid called them away from the Unicorns, not missing the sight of Toby giving the Mother a hug as he left. "Yr all going ta Herboloagy next, an I was told ta walk ya over to the green houses, so line up and follow me now." 

Sheba and Fang had spent the time up on Hagrids back porch high and dry. When they left Sheba stayed up on the porch with Fang. The rain was comming down hard and it apeared that neither of them cared all that much about getting wet. 

Professor Sprout met them in front of the Green houses and thanked Hagrid for bringing them to her. She was a middle aged witch, her skin brown from being in the sun so much and her hands stained from much handling of the plants. She looked them over then had them follow her into one of the green houses. Toby knew Professor Sprout from her many visits with his mum. She and his mum were always talking about plants and herbs and all that sort of stuff. They were good friends. 

First she called role then she began to lead them up and down rows of plants of every description and color. There must have been a thousand of the plants in just this one Green house. 

"For this year you will be expected to learn the names and uses of one hundred plants. There will be tests every week and you will be allowed one make-up test for each one you fail. You must pass all test by the end of the School year or you will fail the class and have to do it over again next year. I don't think any of you will want to do that. So stay up with the class work and make sure you pass all tests. You are to read the first chapter in your text for the nest class. 

Now follow me please. I will take you all back to the school and remember no one is to be outside the school by themselves for any reason whatsoever. You will be expelled it you are found out side by your selves or in the company of other students, without a teacher with you." 

Professor Sprout lead them back into the School and told them all to return to their dorms and to put on dry clothing. "Supper will be served shortly so don't dawdle about." 

As they headed back to the Hofflepuff common room Orion groaned, "how can we possibly learn a hundred plants it's too much. I'm dead already." 

Sam laughed at him. "You silly duck, you have all year to learn them. It's only four plants a week. It will be easy." 

"It is?" Orion asked surprised. "You mean it? Only four a week, why I can do that. It'll be easy." 

Sam laughed at him again and reminded him, "I thought you were dead already." 

They separated and went upstairs to their dorm to change clothes. The house elves must have known they would come in wet because each of them had clean dry clothes laid out for them. Sheba was again asleep on Toby's bed so he woke her and told her. It's supper time, are you coming down with us to eat?" 

At the word supper she leaped off the bed and was already headed down the stairs ahead of them all. They had to wait for Sam to come down but it wasn't long and then they all were off and running with Sheba leading the way for the Great Hall for supper. The Hall was almost full and quite noisy when they got there. Students were everywhere talking and playing about. Toby and his group sat in their usual place. 

As they were sitting down three older students pushed past them knocking Sam and Tie back against their table as they passed. "Watch it first years or you'll get worse." A tall skinny kid with pale skin and blond hair snarled at them as he passed. His two friends were even bigger than he was, and very fat and had very mean looks on their faces. 

"Are you Ok Sam?" Toby asked her seeing her hold her side. 

"I think so but I hit my side on the table, and it hurts." She told him still holding her side. 

The three boys went up to where Harry Potter was sitting and started yelling at him about something. A dozen of the older Gryffindor boys got up and came at the three boy wands ready. A tall red headed boy who was obviously a twin, told the three boys, "Get your slimy Slytherin behinds back over to your table were you belong Malfoy or we're going to put you over there in pieces. You or your Goons mess with Harry Potter or any other Gryffindor and you will answer to all of us. Now git!" 

The boy named Malfoy snarled something back at them and then turned and started back down the aisle between the Hofflepuff and Gryffindor tables. Just as they came even with Toby and his friends. Toby whispered. "I wish there were round candies all over the floor under their feet." 

Suddenly the three mean boys were slipping and sliding around their arms and legs flying into the air as all three came crashing down onto the floor with loud thuds. The boys tried and tried to get up but their efforts were to no avail. The harder they tried the more candies it seemed there were on the floor and the more they fell down. Everyone in the room was howling with laughter as the three boys had to crawl away on their hands and knees to get clear of the candies. As soon as the boys were clear of the tables the candies disappeared so there was no evidence of what had happened when the teachers came over to see what what was going on. 

The two red headed twins were the prime suspects. It seems that they did things like that all the time, but they protested their innocence. "We didn't do it. It's not that we wouldn't have done it mind you Professor McGonagall, but neither of us had any candies to do it with. The candies are gone now so who ever did it is really good with magic. Neither George nor I could have made all that much candy appear and then disappear like that anyway. Who ever did it is really good." The one named Fred finished. 

"Ya and really funny too!" The one named George added which got him a withering look from McGonagall. 

Of course no one was down in the kitchen to see half a dozen Elves rolling around on the floor holding their round little tummies. There was a large jar of brightly colored candies on the shelf above them, but it was full so the reason the elves were on the floor wasn't obvious right away. But closer inspection might have reveled that the Elves were doing something very closely resembling laughter. The ring leader of the Elves name by the way was Dobby. 

Everyone seemed to think that the Gryffendors Fred and George Weasly had really pulled off a good one, and no one bothered to look beyond them so Toby counted himself lucky and kept his mouth shut about his own involvement. And after all he didn't exactly know that he had caused the 'accident' to happen now did he? 

Another bowl of chopped meat appeared for Sheba. The rest of them ate huge helpings of mashed potatoes, meatloaf, fried chicken, corn on the cob, and hot corn bread with lots of melted butter on it. For dessert there was sugar free apple pie and sugar free cherry pie. Each of the pies had a little label attached stating that it was sugar free. The pies were delicious better even than the ones with sugar Sam told him after trying some of each. Then everyone else wanted to try some of the sugar free pies, fortunately the pies were magically replaced so there was enough for everyone. 

After they were all stuffed, Professor Dumbledore stood up and called for attention. "We have a new teacher this year for The Defense Against The Dark Arts. Professor Ezmerelda Longbottom will be teaching the class. She has taught here at Hogwarts in the past so she is no stranger to our School or our ways. Her classes will begin tomorrow so I want to welcome her to Hogwarts tonight." 

An elderly witch sat next to Professor McGonagall. She nodded but didn't smile. She was a big woman and somewhat plump. But it was unlikely that anyone would remind her of it. She didn't look like the kind of person who would take kindly to criticism. In fact she looked like the sort of witch that would just as soon turn you into a toad or frog or worse, as look at you. Toby didn't think her class was going to be any fun at all, and the Hofflepuff first years had her first thing in the morning if he remembered his schedule correctly. 

Orion looked at her and blanched, "Do we have a class with her Sam?" 

Sam nodded. "First thing in the morning too. As soon as we get back to the common room lets read the first chapter of our text, She looks like the kind that gives lot of homework and tests." 

Everyone agreed she looked the sort to do all of that and more, so as soon as they were dismissed they hurried back to their common room and got their text for the DADA class. They got a table away from most of the older kids and Sam began to read out loud to them. "Chapter one. 

From the beginning of recorded history practitioners of magic have always know that magic could be used for both good and bad. In time it became obvious that some practitioners were orientated towards the Dark Arts while others were aligned with the White Arts. One of the facts that also became clear is that there was no middle road. 

No matter how hard some tried to stay neutral those who practiced the Dark Arts became drawn further and further into their web. The search for Power, for control, and the dominance of others became all consuming. Very few who once began to walk the path of the Dark Arts ever had the strength to turn back. One outstanding Wizard did manage to escape the snare of the Dark Arts. That Wizard is one of the most famous Wizard of all time it is Merlin the Wizard of King Arthur's court." 

They all looked at the picture of Merlin in their texts. "Wow, he sort of favors Dumbledore, don't ya think?" asked Guy studying the picture as Merlin waved his wand at them. 

They spent the next hour going over the first chapter and memorizing the names of the famous wizards and witches that were mentioned. Getting sleepy finally forced them to quit and head for the showers and bed. Toby slept undisturbed that night. 

  
  
Go to Chapter 3 The DADA Teacher.   
  


Click here to E-Mail Michael if you have any comments. 

  


  
  
  
  


© 2001 M V Stevens. This site is an independent Harry Potter fan website. It is in no way related to J.K. Rowling, Mary Grand Pre, Scholastic, Bloomsbury or Arthur A. Levine Books or Warner Bros. Films all of whom own rights to the commercial exploitation of Harry Potter. That's their job. From what I've seen of the trailer for the Harry Potter movie, Warner Bros. is doing a great job and I look forward to seeing the movie. I want no monetary gain from my web site and I intend no infringement to anyone's rights. 


	3. The DADA Teacher.

**Tobius, a Hogworts Adventure **  
by M V Stevens  


  
  
This story contains Charactors and places which were  
created by J.K.Rowling and is Fan Fiction.  
  
**Chapter 3 The DADA Teacher.**   
  
Thunder and lightening woke Toby in the morning. He lay there in his bed listening to the rain and the wind, and then more thunder and lightning. "This is perfect." He said out loud. "Dark art and the thunder and lightning. What a perfect match." 

"Woke you up too did it?" Guy called from his bed. 

"Me too." Orion called from his bed. "How about you Tie?" 

"Yes it has woke me up too. I hate thunder and lightning. They scare me." He told them peeking out of his bed curtains. 

"We may as well get up then." Toby decided. "Let's get dressed and go see what's for breakfast. I'm hungry and there's no sense laying here getting all jumpy because of the thunder." 

They all climbed out of bed and hurriedly dressed in their warmest clothes. Then brushing hair and teeth and down stairs to the common room. Sam was all ready there with Sheba sitting in her lap purring contentedly waiting for them. Everyone it appeared was up for the same reason and they all headed for the Great Hall for breakfast. 

With lots to eat and lots to talk about breakfast time slipped by quickly. Overhead the ceiling mirrored the thunder and lightning storm outside and several times the room lit up so bright it dazzled their eyes from the lightning. Finally full and satisfied the gong rang out telling them it was time to go to class. 

Again Sam lead the Hofflepuffs and Ravenclaws up two stairways across two halls down another stairway and down another hall to their class. Professor Longbottom was waiting for them and sat at her desk quietly watching them as the filed in. No one talked or dallied about, everyone found a seat and waited quietly. 

They waited so long it became very tense in the room. Finally the Professor got up and walked down the isles between the desks and named each of them as if she had known them all for years. She returned to the front of the classroom and again she watched them. Then she spoke. "You are in this class today with me for one reason. Lord Voltemort has returned and the killings have already begun." 

No one said a word, but the impact of what she said sent a chill through the room. "The last time he tried to take over hundreds of innocent men, women, and children died. Most responsible adult witches and wizards agree before he can be stopped again many, many more will certainly die." 

This kind of blunt talk was not what any of them had expected. If they hadn't been afraid before they were now. "My job this year with you is to try to prepare you to face any of several possible events that could and in many cases will happen to you. You may lose loved ones. You may see people killed with your own eyes. And last but far from lest you may be attacked and if you don't know what to do you may be killed." 

One of the Ravenclaw girls cried out, "Your scaring us...me." 

Professor Longbottom looked at her pitying and told her bluntly. "Good! I want you to be afraid. I want you to be so frightened that when the time comes, if it does, you do what I teach you this year, and you do it fast and without thinking. I intend to teach you what to do and what not to do. I intend to teach each of you how to save your lives if and when the time comes. There is one thing that will get you killed if you do it. Do any of you know what that is?" 

No one knew, because there were millions of things you might do. "There is one thing you must never ever do when faced with an attack by Lord Voltemort or his Deatheaters. You must never do NOTHING!" She shouted at them vehemently. 

"Almost all the people killed by Lord Voltemort and his Deatheaters died without putting up any kind of fight at all. I don't know what went wrong with their training but It is the intention of this School, the Ministry, and myself that you shall not go like lambs to the slaughter." 

Again she looked them over closely. "Did any of you bother to read the first chapter of your text book?" 

All the Hofflepuffs raised their hands and a few of the Ravenclaws did too. The Professor began asking questions about the chapter. She quickly determined who had and who hadn't read the chapter. "Very good Hofflepuffs, you get five points for coming to class prepared. Ravenclaws you get two points for the few that also came to class prepared. Now I will go over the important points and then there will be a test. There will be a test in every class so make sure you study the assigned chapter before each class." 

One thing was certain they had been right about the Professor being tough. Toby and the others breathed a sigh of relief as she began to quickly cover the chapter. They had studied and were ready. 

Once they left the class the Hofflepuffs congratulated each other on their foresight and the fact that they had all passed the test. Sam of course was very pleased when Toby pointed out , "I think we owe Sam a special thanks for reading the chapter to us and explaining so much of it to us. If we keep working together as a team we can win the house cup. We don't have to be on brooms playing Quitditch to use team work to our advantage. The Ravenclaws seem kind of flighty and inconsistent I'm sure we can out do them at everything if we stick together and work hard. After all isn't that what they say were best at working hard?" 

Their next class was history and Toby had the hardest time paying attention to a teacher that was a Ghost. Not only was he hard to hear but he spoke with so little emotion that he kept putting them to sleep. If it hadn't been for the constant thunder the snores would have drowned out the teacher. 

After lunch they had the afternoon off. They would have Astronomy at midnight so they were given the afternoon off to study and nap so they would be awake for the class at midnight. Their schedule for each week went like this: 

Monday, Wednesday, Friday:   
Transfiguration 8 am to 9:55 am.   
Double Potions 10:05 to 12 noon.   
Lunch   
Care of Magical Creatures 1 pm to 2:55 pm   
Herbolagy 3:05 pm to 5 pm  
Super, study time, then bed. 

Tuesday, and Thursday:   
Defense Against the Dark Arts 8 am to 9:55 am   
History 10:05 am to 12 noon   
Lunch   
Study time and nap   
Super time   
Study time and nap   
Astronomy 12 midnight to 2 am 

Wednesdays classes went by with out too many incidents. They made frogs into toads in Transfiguration. 

They made their first potion for Professor Snape and most of the class messed it up, Toby and Sam got it right however because it was very simple and all you had to do was keep the heat low and let it simmer. Two many of the students turned their burners up way to high and ruined the potion. Snape was very angry because he had told them not to do it. He nodded at Toby's and Sam's potion and moved on without comment, but Toby told Sam latter that he counted a nod from Snape to be equal to a resounding cheer from any other teacher. 

Hagrid had managed to talk a Centaur into telling the class all about his race. This particular Centaur was very friendly and talkative but Hagrid assured them that most of the Centaurs wouldn't give you the time of day much less tell you something important. They're very unworldly he assured them at the end of the class. 

Herbolagy was quite exciting. One of the students, yes it was a Ravenclaw, made the mistake of getting too close to the giant man eating Venus Fly Trap. Professor Sprout had told them several times to stay clear of it, but of course someone just had to see for themselves if it really would eat you. It did... Fortunately the Professor had a spray that made the Fly trap sneeze and it puffed out the student with no more than a bunch of goo on him. After a bath and a change of clothes he was just fine, although the clothes he had been wearing dissolved into nothing about an hour latter. 

Thursday dawned bright and clear. Birds singing and the air was fresh and clean after so much rain. Toby and the others ate their way through breakfast as usual and then the whole group of them headed off to Defense Against the Dark Arts class. The chapter for this class was about famous or perhaps infamous Dark Wizards. Over the Centuries there had been some very terrible men and a few women who had followed the Dark path. Again they had studied the Chapter together the night before and this time the Ravenclaws had too. 

Toby was having a problem today. He was hearing something strange and he couldn't get it out of his head. Hogwarts had a thousand year history of magic use and the very stones that made up the walls and floors of the Castle were imbued with magic. Strange as it my seem Toby could see and quite often hear the magic. The walls had stories to tell and sometimes they sang songs of the great deeds that had happened inside the school. Today though it was different. 

"Toby!....Toby! ... Tobius Wright! What on earth is wrong with you boy?" Professor Longbottom shook him and spoke loudly to him. 

He looked up at her helplessly and shook his head. "I don't know, I don't know, but something terrible is coming. I can hear it. It's hungry and it wants to kill. I can hear it's voice. It's terrible and loud. It's right over there Professor it's coming through that wall!" 

"What are you saying boy? What is coming?" She looked where he was pointing but saw nothing. Still she was alarmed by the boy's behavior. She had been briefed by Dumbledore about Toby and knew he had strange talents. "Show me what your see." 

Toby took his wand and traced the rune for the "Reveal Hidden" spell. 

The front wall of the classroom suddenly became plastic, and a fiery figure was reveled to them all, black eyes searching for them, a fanged mouth open and ready to pounce. All that held the hideous creature from leaping upon them and devouring them were some thin strands of some sort of elastic. The spells that protected the school were failing and barely able to hold the fiery creature back. 

"Quickly students out of this classroom and Sam you and Toby lead the class as fast as you can to Professors McGonagall's class and tell her to bring Dumbledore and Severus Snape here as fast as they can. "I'll try to hold the balrog off until they can get here. Now run! Run as fast as you can!" 

They all ran for all they were worth. Sam knew the way and Toby kept the slower ones moving as best he could. Several Teachers stuck their heads out of their class and demanded to know what was going on. Toby shouted back as they passed. "There's a Balrog trying to brake through the wall in Professor Longbottom's class she needs help." 

Pandemonium broke out behind them as the Professors hurried their students out into the hall and sent them running with orders to get outside as fast as they could. Toby couldn't see if anyone was going to help the Professor hold off the beast but they were finally at Professor McGonagall's class. Sam hurled open the door and startled everyone in the class shouting at McGonagall to help Professor Longbottom. "Help her please she can't hold it off for long hurry Professor, she needs help." 

"What? What are you going on about Sam?" Demanded McGonagall. 

"Toby saw something coming through the wall then he made it visible and Professor Longbottom said it was a Balrog, and she needs you and Snape and Dumbledore to help her. Hurry please!" Sam wailed breathlessly. 

Suddenly there was a terrible boom that shook the entire school. Then another. Professor McGonagall turned white and turned to her class. You! Potter and Hermione, lead the class out of the school get as far away from the building as you can. Take the first years here with you and don't let them out of your sight. Now run for your lives... my stars a Balrog?!" 

Again the Castle shook with a loud boom. They all ran as fast as they could. Students were poring out of every class now and teachers were shouting to each other to know what was going on. Harry Potter told them as they passed, "the school is under attack by a Balrog get everyone outside and away from the Castle." 

"Boommmmm!" 

The Castle shook so hard that many students lost their footing and fell down. Toby helped one girl up and Sam was helping Tie back up as they continued to run down stairs, and then out through the front doors. 

Boooommmmm!" 

And windows blew out of part of the Castle and glass flew everywhere. They ran all the harder to get clear. Toby felt something brush the side of his head but he didn't stop to see what it was, he kept his eyes on the others and made sure everyone was running to safety. Finally Hagrid came running up and demanded to know what was going on. Sam out of breath told him then screamed as she looked at Toby. "Your covered in blood Toby, oh no what 's wrong?" 

Hagrid grabbed Toby and pressed his huge hand over Toby's head. "Some of that glass must have got him, his scalp is cut open right to the bone. Hold still Toby I have to hold it together or ye might just bleed to death." 

Toby hadn't felt any pain or anything yet but his legs were beginning to feel rubbery. "Do the closing spell it will keep the wound closed until it can be looked after." He told Hagrid. 

"Lad I don't know any such spell. Can ye show it to me?" Hagrid asked his hand shaking now because Toby was still bleeding profusely. 

Toby traced the rune in the air for Hagrid, his arm barely able to support his wand. "I can't do that." Hagrid cried. "Hermione get over here and watch the boy, your quick at this sort of thing." 

Hermione ran over and watched Toby as he traced out the rune again. "I have it Toby now hold still." She quickly used her wand and a soft blue light shot out and covered Toby's head. Toby was still shaking but the shock eased and soon he could stand unassisted. 

Others had been cut as well some even more seriously than Toby. Hermione ran from group to group using the spell that she had learned from Toby to close and hold the wounds until help arrived. Sam ran to the lake and tore the bottom half of her robe off with the help of Ron Weasley and soaked it with water then they ran back and washed most of the blood off of Toby. Several more students saw what Sam and Ron did and copied them helping others. Soon everyone one was involved with helping the injured. 

The battle in the Castle however continued. One side of the upper floors suddenly blew outward and granite stones hurled outward whistling as they rocketed upwards, to arch outwards, and land in the Quiditch field totally destroying the arena. Another explosion erupted and more stones flew outward. Then they all heard voices chanting loudly in some foreign tongue. 

Balga Nashka, Balga Nashka, Vargetch! Vargetch!   
Sararjay Va! Sararjay Va!   
Balga Nashka, Balga Nashka, Vargetch! Vargetch!   
Sararjay Va! Sararjay Va! 

It went on for a long time then silence. No more booms no more explosions. It was finally over. 

Students and teachers were everywhere scattered all over the grounds. Hagrid was running all over the place trying to help anyone who looked like they needed it but finally he came back over to Sam and Toby and sighed. "Don't know what to do. So many kids and the teachers all over the place. No one knows what's happened inside but it's for sure you won't be sleeping in the school tonight, the whole thing could collapse at any moment." 

Toby looked at Hagrid's sad face and then it came to him what had to be done. "Well then Hagrid you must take charge." 

"Me! Told ya I don't know what ta do. I'd make a mess of things for sure." Hagrid denied his face turning red. 

"It'll be easy Hagrid. Sam and I and the other's too will help you." Toby told him confidently. 

"I don't know Toby what ya reckon we ought ta do first?"

"First someone needs to go to Hogsmeed and tell them what's happened and tell them that we need medicine, tents, port-a-pottys, and some more adults to help guard the school tonight. They will have to tell the Minister of Magic and the Disaster relief teams to come help. Some Aurras need to come out too. Then we need to organize everyone out here into their houses. We can put up different color flags for each house then the Prefects can take count and see if anyone is missing. With everyone scattered all over the place you can't tell if anyone is missing or not. That should get everything going then we'll see what is needed as we come to it." 

Hagrid looked up with a smile. "Ya make it sound so simple Tobius, sure I can do that. Who's got a broom?" he bellowed out to the crowd. 

Harry Potter held out his hand and waved his wand and in seconds out of the wreckage of the School his Firebolt came flying right into his hand. 

"I'll go Hagrid I know who to tell and I'll see how much help they can send us from the village." Harry told Hagrid as he mounted his broom. 

"Don't stay though." Hagrid told him. "Since yr the only one with a broom we may need ya to do other things yet." 

Harry nodded then he was off the ground and flying like a rocket. 

Hagrid cut down four tall bamboo rods and they cut up four more robes and attached them to the polls. Hermione did a quick spell that turned each flag to a house color. Hagrid paced off a hundred steps ( his of course were quite large ) and planted a flag. By now everyone was watching to see what he was up too. 

Once he had the flags planted firmly in the earth he bellowed out. "Aright now all you all listen up. I want all you students ta go ta the areas behind the flags of your houses. Griffendors there, ( he pointed to the first flag) Hofflepuffs next, Ravenclaws beside them and Slytherin over there behind your flag. 

Then once everybody is in their house area you Prefects take count of the students in your house and make sure everyone is here. All the injured can be counted to as soon as the rest of you are where ya belong. Ok lets get to it." 

It seemed like madness at first but shortly everyone was sorted out and in their area. Hagrid had them all line up according to their year in school all the better to count the students. The bad news was there were four students missing. It turned out that all the students that were missing had been down in the Dungeons in the Potions lab." Who was supposed to lead them out?" Hagrid demanded. 

One of the Slytherin sixth years held his hand up. "Sir we were split up by a cave-in. I got all the rest out ok though." The tall boy explained. 

"And just when were you going to tell me about the ones that got left behind?" Hagrid demanded clearly angry that nothing had been said about this to anyone. 

"It was just some Gyffindors. I got all the Slytherins and the others out ok." He explained as if lost Gryffindors were of no account at all. 

Hagrid was plainly furious with the boy's attitude, and he started to go back to the school. Toby ran up to him and told him. "Hagrid stop you can't go!" 

"What ya mean I can't go? We got to rescue them and quick." Hagrid asked in surprise. 

"I know but your in charge here now. Your the leader and everyone is looking to you to keep them safe. You have to send someone else. Pick the strongest and the best with magic to go in and find them, but you have to stay here." Toby explained. 

Hagrid clearly wanted to argue, but he looked around and every eye was on him watching to see what to do next. "All right, yr right Toby. You four over there and you ( he pointed to some teachers ) go in and see if you can find em. Be careful of fallen rocks and such, but find those kids." 

The teachers he picked out turned and ran back to the school and disappeared. Everyone else seemed to breath a sigh of relief. Hagrid continued to organize everyone, and the injured. Madam Pomfrey had made it out of the Hospital wing, but she was hurt very badly, and needed medical attention immediately, so did many others and the Hospital wing had been destroyed as well as the Potions lab. Toby looked around and found Sheba sitting with Sam. "Sheba we need mom here right away, and we need her medicines and potions too. She better bring all she's got cus some of the injured are really hurt bad." Toby had no sooner finished then Sheba disappeared. 

Sam looked startled. "Where'd she go Toby?" 

"She went home to get my mum. She's a healer and will know what to do." Toby explained. 

"But how? I didn't know cats could to that?" 

"Depends on their blood line is all I know, if they have some Kneazle in them then they can do some really neat stuff." He told her. 

"Like what else Toby?" Sam started to ask, but stopped short as a glowing circle appeared in the air a few feet away from her. 

Sam was speechless as the most beautiful witch she had ever seen stepped out of the Glowing orb. The witch was tall, her every manner was aristocratic and regale. Her hair was black as black can be, but right in the middle she had sliver streak going down one side. Her eyes were lavender in color and seemed bigger than most and her pupils were vertical slits, almost cat like. She was dressed in a peasants dress but she looked like a queen. Her eyes shown with a soft lavender glow and her face was worried until she spotted Toby. Then her face face lit up like a light, and she rushed over to Toby. "What has happened my Tobius? Sheba said you needed me quickly." But already her eyes were taking in every detail of the seen before her. 

"There are many injured mother, and the school healer is hurt very badly too. They don't have any medicine or potions at all." Toby told her quickly. 

"What could have done this terrible thing to the school? The Wards here are very powerful. I checked them myself before I decided to allow you to come here. Nothing could have done this to Hogwarts." Toby's mother seemed shocked at what she saw. 

Sam had come up beside Toby and she answered. "It was a Balrog mamma. Toby heard it coming and did a spell so Professor Longbottom could see it. It was horrible mamma the Professor sent us running and put Toby and I in charge of the other students. We ran and got Professor McGonagall and she sent us out here, and then she when to get Dumbledore and help Professor Longbottom. Toby got Hagrid to get us all organized, and he's in charge now. We really need some help. Toby was hurt too but he showed Hermione how to do a spell to hold the cut shut. He really looked terrible he was all covered in blood. You will help us won't you mamma. Toby says your the best healer their is." 

Toby's mother listened to Sam then she dropped lower tell she was eye to eye with Sam. Her eyes went unfocussed for several seconds then she smiled. "Thank you Sam. You'll do very nicely. I approve. Now lets go look to the injured. Toby go back through the portal and bring me all my things....No take some of your friends and have them carry the things for you. I'll have to attend to your cut soon but I want to take care of the more injured first. Come along Sam I'll be needing your help, and who was it you said did the healing spell for Toby?" 

"It was Hermione, she's really good at magic, and she did the spell on all the others that were bleeding too." Sam answered wondering how Toby's mum had know her name. 

"Would you fetch her for me? I'll need both of you to help me." 

"Yes mamma." Sam curtsied as she answered, she felt as if the Queen were talking to her. 

Toby grabbed Orion, Guy and Tie, and then spotted Sam's brother Jay. "I need help getting me mums stuff here will you come with me and help?" 

Jay looked at the portal and asked, " you mean we get to go through that thing?" 

Toby nodded not sure what Jay was thinking. 

"Wicked!" Jay exclaimed a big smile on his face. "Who says only the Gryffindors get to have adventures? Come on lets go!" 

"Yeaaaa!" Guy shouted as they piled through the Portal to Toby's home. 

Toby took charge as they stepped out in his home. "Wow Toby you live here?" Orion asked looking around. 

"Sure me and me mum. Lets get some boxes and some bags out of the closet over there so we can carry all of me mum stuff." Toby directed them to a hall closet where they found folded up boxes and grocery bags stored. 

Toby's home was much like a fairy tail home. Large round doors with bright colors. round windows looking out onto a beautiful valley. Everywhere in the house the woodwork was of intricate carved runes and figures of various magical folk. Toby opened drawers and took out various herbs and powders. In the boxes he put jars and urns of liquids. Then he grabbed his mothers black bag and headed everyone back out the portal and to Hogwarts. 

They ended up going back again to drag the large caldron and the support for it. Also they had to pull the examining table that she used through so she could work on the injured better. Soon they had her caldron set up and a fire lit under it. "Toby I'm going to need some Echinatia, some Goldenseal, and some Burberry to speed the healing, better get it going now so it will be ready when I need it." His mother instructed. 

Toby nodded, "Yes mamma, I'll get it started right now." 

Sam and Hermione were casting healing spells and sleep spells on patients as they were readied for treatment. About that time the teachers that had gone to find the lost Gryffindors returned carrying the students. One look was enough to know that they were terribly hurt. None of them were conscious and their limbs just hung off of them as though broken. Two of them were the Weasley Twins, Fred and George. They were burned and battered badly. 

Arabella took one look at them and declared, "Those are not crushing wounds those are spell wounds. Who attacked these boys? Where is Hagrid he had better look into this immediately, someone attacked these boys and very nearly killed them, if I'm any judge of wounds they were left for dead." 

When Hagrid saw the Weasley twins he started to cry. "I knew there was bad blood between them and the Slytherins. It was bound to happen sooner or latter. Those Slytherin boys grabbed the first chance they had and used the confusion to attack them. I told Dumbledore it was going to happen, but he said no. He said he could handle it. Are...they ...ah..hem...dead?" 

"No, they aren't dead and I believe I can bring them all around shortly. But you had better get some Aroras here Hagrid who ever did this used the killing curse to attack them, fortunately they did it wrong, but never the less that is what did all this damages." 

Hagrid turned and started looking for Harry, to see if he could get him to fly to London, but Harry wasn't back yet. And Hagrid knew he couldn't ask Harry to do that. It was too far and to dangerous for Harry to go so far away from his protection. Hermione's cat Crookshanks came up to him and meowed at him. "I don't know Crookshanks I haven't any food for you, we need to get the Ministry people here and we have no way to get word to them." 

Suddenly a second portal opened in front of him, shimmering all blue. "Dang me I keep forgetting your part Kneazle. Where's it go. Oh I guess I better stick my head through and see hadn't I?" Hagrid did just that. 

To say that Molly Weasley was surprised to see Hagrid climbing out of a blue sphere in her kitchen would be to put it mildly. "Oh! Hagrid what in the world?" 

Of all the people Hagrid didn't want to see just then it was Molly Weasley. "Now Molly sometin terrible has happened at the school and we need the ministry's help right now. A lot of the students are hurt and the schools nearly destroyed. Can you get ahold of Arthur for us right now. We need the ministry now and some Aroras too." 

"What has happened Hagrid, Aroras? Has the school been attacked by Voltemort? My children , my boys, Ginny? Are they all right Hagrid your hiding something from me, what has happened." 

Without thinking Hagrid answered her. "Yr boys will pull through, Arabella is looking after them now. I saw Ginny and she's all right. Ron's helpen Hermione with the injured so he's Ok too. But we have to get help Molly." 

But it was too late Molly had already climbed through the portal. Fortunately Charley Weasly apparated into the Kitchen just then and as soon as Hagrid explained the whole thing all over to him Charley apparated off to his dad's office. Hagrid turned and went back to see what else he could do to help and hoped someone would come to take over, it was making him extremely nervous to be in charge. 

Harry had returned and brought help from Hogsmead. The men and women that came brought food and blankets, extra robes and anything else they could think of that might help. The first concern was the injured so Hagrid had them begin setting up shelters for those who needed protection from the wind that was starting to blow. A few minutes latter a witch landed and Hagrid recognized her the Arora Tracy RoseVella. "Harry caught me at Hogsmeed Hagrid, and said you need extra security, What in the world happened? Harry said it was a Balrog, it couldn't have been could it?" 

"Yes missy it were a Balrog, but yr needed for something else as well, you go talk to Arabella Wright, she'll fill you in on the details. It's almost as bad as the Balrog, students attacking other students, an using the killing curse to do it with." Hagrid told her ashamed that he had to even say it. 

"A student used the killing curse on another?" Tracy's face went cold. 

"No lass it's worse an that several students attacked four Gryffindors and nearly killed um. The Weasly twins and their friends. Molly Weasly is over there now so you better get over there before she comes apart and start something herself, she knows enough to recognize the signs." 

Tracy left quickly, and Hagrid didn't see her again for quite some time, but he found out latter she arrested eight of the Slytherin boys for the attack. Those boys never returned to Hogwarts again just for the record. All four of the Gryffindore boys recovered consciousness and testified as to what had happened and that was that. No one uses the killing curse and goes unpunished. At lest no one if they're caught does. 

Hagrid was kept far to busy to keep track then of that affair because just then Cornelius Fudge and Arthur Weasly stepped through the Portal and began asking him questions. Fudge was full of bluster and arguments but when he saw the damage to the School he was speechless. Finally he asked what do you need Hagrid, I can't stand to see this horrible mess of our Hogwarts, I get the Ministry for Magical Calamities here immediately and get you what you need." 

With that he left. Arthur stayed and after talking to Molly he told Hagrid, "Fudge is not going to be much help he's falling apart and this is only going to make matters worse. What do you need Hagrid?" 

Hagrid had been thinking of that question so he had his need list ready. "We need shelter for a little more than a thousand people. They had breakfast this morning but nothing since. The kitchens are destroyed and I don't know where the House Elves have got to. We need food for all of us at lest by tonight. We need Port-a- Pottys too, there's no facilities at all right now. The sky looks to be shapen up for another rain so we have to have good protection for them. We need extra security for the grounds and the walls, no ones had time to check the wards to see if they're still intact.. Mostly we need shelter, food and clothing for the lot of us, well not me. My house is still standing, and I'll take in as many as can sleep in it tonight. I know I won't sleep tonight. Can't, I'm too worried. I need to get someone into the school to find Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape and Longbottom. We haven't heard from any of them since the attack." 

"All right Hagrid. Your doing a good job man, they're lucky to have you here to take over. Good job, Good job." Arthur told him as he stepped through the portal. 

Hagrid got the same four men to go searching for Dumbledore and the others. Then he started directing traffic to his bathroom since it was the only working one on the grounds. Toby helped out too by taking groups through the portal to his home and letting who ever needed use the bathroom there. Ginny soon was doing the same although there was traffic now coming out of her home as supplies began to arrive. 

The House Elves hadn't left and as soon as the tents began to arrive they proved to be absolute whizzes at setting them up. Soon they also had kitchens set up under large canvas tents where long tables and benches where set up for a hundred or so at a time and food began to be served. Harry, Ron and their friends began to take groups over to the kitchens, and they started eating in shifts. 

One of the Slytherin sixth years, named Ryan told Ron as he waited for his turn to eat, "I want you to know Weasley that none of the rest of us in Slytherin as far as I know had anything to do with that attack. I'm as sorry as I can be that such a low life thing happened and I'm ashamed that Slytherins had anything at all to do with it. If there is anything I can do to help just ask." 

Malfoy was standing in line and wined "If there's anything I can do just ask. You traitor Ryan you discussed me." 

Ryan turned and hit Malfoy with a hay maker that came from the ground up. Wammm! Malfoy lifted six inches off the ground and flew backward five feet. Neither of Malfoy's friends made so much as a move. "You discussed me Malfoy. Your a disgrace to Slytherin and to this school. If I find out you had anything to do with that attack there won't be enough of you left for the Aroras to bother with arresting." 

Several of the Slytherin Girls and some Ravenclaws that hung out with Ryan patted him on the back and said things like "All right Ryan! Way to show that idiot, and so on." 

Hagrid came by a little bit latter and bent over Ryan and whispered. "Didn't think ya had it in ya Ryan." and then gave Ryan's shoulder a squeeze, then walked on by. 

Although Ryan's shoulder was useless for a week he wouldn't have traded Hagrids approval for a million gillions. 

While everyone was taking their turn eating the teachers that had gone in search of Dumbledore and the others returned. "We found them Hagrid but they are all unconscious and we'll need help getting them out." They reported. 

They made four litters and with more hands to help rushed back into the dangerous innards of the school. Shortly they returned carrying the four teachers. Arabella took one look at them and knew that she needed some help. She closed her eyes and stood perfectly still for several seconds. Then she looked around for Toby. He had already gotten to eat so he was nearby. "Toby Grandmother will be coming through the Portal soon, will you go meet her and bring her here?" 

Toby was always happy to see his Grann she was always fun to have around even if she did tend to talk about her cats a little to much. Just as he got to the Portal an beautiful lady with eyes just like his mothers was climbing gracefully out of it. "Grandmother!" he shouted running up to her and gave her a big hug. 

His grandmother surveyed the seen slowly, then with a serious expression she asked Toby, "Well boy what trouble have you got yourself into this time?" 

Toby hugged her again and replied. "It's a bit more than Mother and I can handle I'm afraid." 

"Yes Tobius I can see that. Well take me to Arabella let's see what she's in such a dither about." 

As he lead her towards the Aid tent he told her, "it's Professors, Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, and Longbottom, Grandmother. They were fighting a Balrog and now they are all unconscious." 

"They were what?!" She asked him in surprise. 

"Yes mamma." Toby told her. 

Arabella greeted her mother with a hug then took her to see the Professors. "They've poured out too much of themselves and now they can't get back Mother. I didn't want to try the resuscitation potion and it's spells all by myself, and your the only other one who knows it any more." 

"Oh you were right to call me. This is nothing to take lightly. We'll need your gold cauldron, and the special fairy water and dragon elements. Better get Toby to bring them here to us." She told her daughter. 

"Toby go to the gold room and bring me my special things. Better get Harry to help you I really don't want anyone else to know about the gold room." Arabella told Toby. 

Toby ran and found Harry Potter and told him. "Me mum wants you to help me bring some things from our home, can you come now?" 

"Sure Toby lets go." Harry agreed leaving his friends looking questioning after him. 

After he and Harry climbed out of the Portal into his home Toby told Harry, "Please don't tell anyone about what your going to see. OK?" 

Harry looked at Toby and nodded. "Ok Toby I know how to keep a secret. I won't tell anyone." 

Toby lead Harry down a hall and into a small bedroom. He made a gesture and the back wall of the room disappeared and they were looking at a room full of gold, jewels, and all kinds of treasures. Harry was speechless at the grandeur of it all. "Wow Toby were in the world did all this come from? And why isn't it in Grengotts?" 

"It's me familles treasure. It's been ours for generations. Grengotts isn't safe enough to hold all this, so we keep it here where it's safe." Toby told him pulling out a very heavy gold cauldron and a golden bag of supplies. "You'll have to help me with all this it's too heavy for me to carry." 

Harry put the heavy bag of supplies over his shoulders and then he and Toby grabbed one lip of the cauldron and hobbled along down the hall after Toby closed the wall entrance to the gold room. They struggled to the Portal and then through. Hagrid was waiting for them on the other side. "Your mum said you might need some help with something heavy an I see why now." 

Hagrid picked up the gold cauldron as if it were nothing and tucked it under one arm and then off they went to the Aid tent to give it to Arabella and Toby's Grandmother. As they entered the section of the tent were the four unconscious teachers were Harry stopped short. "Mrs. Figg? What are you doing here, and what's wrong with your eyes?" 

Toby's Grandmother smiled at Harry and answered. "Where else should I be when my daughter needs my help Harry Potter? And as for my eyes, it's when I'm around muggles like your Uncle and Aunt great lumps of foolishness that they are that I have to wear my contacts. Which reminds me Arabella why is my grandson wearing contacts? These aren't muggles here they shouldn't have any trouble with his eyes the way they really are. It's plain mean to make him where those thing all the time. They hurt the eyes." 

"I know Mother, but I didn't want Toby to have trouble with the other children right off. He does have some friends now. Do they bother you that much Tobius dear?" She asked Toby. 

Harry and Hagrid were looking from one to the other as Toby answered his mother. "Yes mother they do hurt, can I please take them off now?" 

"Oh very well. I guess it's for the best." 

"Thank you Mother." Toby told her as he took a small case out of his pocket and removed his contacts and put them up. 

Harry, Hagrid, Sam and Hermione all stared dumstruck as they looked at three pair of lavender colored eyes with vertical pupils more like a cats than anything else. After a moment Hermione said quietly. "Well it's plain as can be that you three are related. Who did you call her Harry we haven't been introduced yet." 

Harry shook his head. "She the lady that always takes care of me when the Dursleys can't be bothered with me. I've know her all my life, but I didn't know she was a witch or about her eyes. She's Mrs. Figg." 

"Actually my name is LaRaina Figg." Toby's Grandmother told them all. "I've been watching after Harry here for all his life at the Dursleys. I've given up fourteen years of my life to see to it that this young man lives to grow up, and come into his inheritance." 

Harry was almost speechless. "I didn't know, I really didn't know." 

"Nor were you supposed to know, but it can't hurt now I suppose for you to know." LaRaina told him seriously. 

Then she smiled at him. "But I'd do it again Harry. You were always such a good boy and I hatted those Dursleys. You have no idea how many times I've wanted to turn them into something horrible and slimy and then step on them one at a time. But your here at Hogwarts were you belong, and that has made it all worth while." 

Harry just stood there. What does one say in a situation like that? Thank You hardly seem adequate. 

"Well enough of this, there is work to be done. All of you must leave now. What my daughter and I are about to do is not for anyone else to know about. Hagrid please keep everyone away until we tell you otherwise." LaRaina told them. 

Just then Ron came in looking for Harry and Hermione. He stopped short when he saw LaRaina and Arabella together. "Wow there's Two of them." 

Harry laughed and Introduced Ron to them. "This is Mrs. Figg, Ron, she's the one who always takes care of me when the Dursleys go away. I told you about her didn't I?" 

Ron agreed. "Sure ya did Harry, but blimmy you didn't tell me she was beautiful. I thought you were talking about some old woman not a ah... well Errr... Well not her." 

Everyone laughed at Ron's stuttering admiration of LaRaina. Then they had to leave. Once they were out side again Toby caught Sam staring at him. "Well should I put my contacts back in or is it ok? My eyes I mean." 

Sam blushed, then told Toby, "your eyes are beautiful Toby. You should never wear those contacts again." 

Then it was Toby's turn to blush. "Come on let's get back to the Hofflepuff area and see if they saved tents for us." And they both ran off to their house area just as the rain began to fall. 

  
  
  
  
Go to Chapter 4.  
  


Click here to E-Mail Michael if you have any comments. 

  


  
  
  
  


© 2001 M V Stevens. This site is an independent Harry Potter fan website. It is in no way related to J.K. Rowling, Mary Grand Pre, Scholastic, Bloomsbury or Arthur A. Levine Books or Warner Bros. Films all of whom own rights to the commercial exploitation of Harry Potter. That's their job. From what I've seen of the trailer for the Harry Potter movie, Warner Bros. is doing a great job and I look forward to seeing the movie. I want no monetary gain from my web site and I intend no infringement to anyone's rights. 


	4. Of Dwarves and Stones.

**Tobius, a Hogworts Adventure **  
by M V Stevens  


  
  
This story contains Charactors and places which were  
created by J.K.Rowling and is Fan Fiction.  
  
**Chapter 4 Of Dwarves and Stones.**   
  
It was about three AM when Dumbledore regained consciousness. "Who's in charge?" He asked LaRaina weakly. 

"Why it's Hagrid of course. Who else would it be?" She asked surprised that he would even need to ask. 

"The children, how are they?" He asked almost desperately. 

"A few injured but the rest just fine. No one seriously hurt by the Balrogs attack if that's what you mean." 

"What do you mean? Were children injured some other way?" He had heard the change in her voice. 

"Nothing for you to worry about now Dumbledore. You need rest not talk." She told him sternly. 

Dumbledore ignored her. "Have the Dwarves started to repair the School?" 

"No why should they?" LaRaina asked surprised at the question. 

"Because it's their job to!" Dumbledore replied testily. "I have to talk to Hagrid right now. He has to go tell the Dwarves to begin the repairs." 

Hagrid wasn't far away, in fact he was right out side the tent waiting to hear how they all were. He came in right away ringing his hands together in worry. "She said yr gona be all right. Yr look awful... I shouldna said that... Sorry, it's just that I've been so worried about you. And I wanted to make sure that I done everything just right for ya." 

Dumbledore smiled weakly. "I'm sure you have Hagrid, I'm sure you have. What shape is the School in?" Is it bad?" 

"I don't know if I should tell ya Sir, I don't want ya to worry none." Hagrid admitted unthinkingly. 

"It's that bad?" Dumbledore demanded. 

"I shouldna said that either." Hagrid mumbled embarrassed. 

"Hagrid you must got to Hogsmead right now and find the Dwarves. You must tell them to begin repairs immediately. Go! Go right now. We can't have the Children out in the open and I can hear it raining." 

"I'll go but no need to worry we have the kids in tents snug and dry. They've been fed and are being watch over by a whole herd of folks who volunteered to help out, so don't worry none about that. Toby and Sam got me straitened out right away, and now everything is going fine Sir. You just get better, and don't worry, we got it all under control." 

Hagrid left to find the Dwarves and Dumbledore lay there muttering, "Toby and Sam? Toby? And Sam?" Then he fell asleep. 

The Dwarves weren't all that hard to find as it turned out. Hagrid opened one of the huge gates at the outer wall of Hogwarts and ran right into about a thousand Dwarves. The leader was cross and almost angry. "Took yr own good time to open the Gates. Thought we were going to have to tear them down just to get in. We're here to fix the School. Where's Dumbledore?" 

"Dumbledore was hurt and asked me to come get ya. Guess ya knew that all ready. The School's a mess. Come on ya might as well see for yr selves. It's pretty bad." Hagrid told him as the crowd of Dwarves followed him towards the School. 

When they came up to the School close enough to see it the Dwarves all spit on the ground in shock. "What in the Blue Blazes did ya do here Hagrid. It looks like ye fought a world war right here." The leader exclaimed in astonishment. 

"Naw it was worse than that. It was a Balrog that did it and nearly did in Dumbledore and some of the other teachers too." He told them, only to see them all spit on the ground again. 

A really old Dwarf spoke up loudly. "I teld ya it were a Balrog, didn't I tell ya I heard one? Next time maybe ya will listen to me when I tell ya something for a change." And he spit agin. 

The leader of the Dwarves sent four of his fellows into the School to see what the damage was, and to see what was needed to do the repairs. When they returned all four spat upon the ground before one of them made his report. Hagrid knew the moment they spit that it wasn't going to be good. 

She's a mess all right. We can't repair her. She's got to come down to the ground and below. Her foundations are broken like glass, and the walls are only being held together by the magic that's still worken. As soon as that fails and it will, the whole thing, she'll come tumbling down. We gotter build her from the bottom up. No getting away from it." 

The leader spit again then turned to Hagrid. "I got to talk to Dumbledore before I can build her new. I got ta know what his will is in this. Come on Hagrid we got ta go see him right now." 

Hagrid didn't know if that was a good idea but the dwarf didn't give him any choice. Off they went to the Aid Tent. Dumbledore it seemed was expecting them, and was awake laying there waiting for the bad news. One look at both Hagrid and his sad face, and the Dwarf spitting was all he needed to see. It was bad. 

Once the Dwarves leader explained that they had to build the School from scratch, he asked Dumbledore. "What ya want? The Contract between us and Godric says we have ta take care of the School no matter what. So ya get a new school. Now how da ya want it?" 

Dumbledore didn't even blink, but he did spit just to show the Dwarves that he understood the seriousness of the situation. "I want the School back the way it was. Your Grandfather built that school, Gimmly, and he built it very well in deed. I want it stone for stone just as it was not one single change. Well no take out that hidden chamber. You'll find a dead Basilisk in it. Destroy that but the rest is to be just as it was. Use as many of the old stones as you can, and put them back right where they were. No changes. Just as your Grandfather Galdrey built it before." 

The old Dwarf actually smiled. "Knew I could depend on you ta know good work when ya seen it. That's the best news I heard since this thing started. We'll start tonight and we won't stop tell it's done. Hagrid leave those Gates wide open, we'll post guards so no one what don't belong here will get in but we got to have them open tell were done cus there'll be a lot of comin and goin." 

Hagrid nodded agreement. Dumbledore fell asleep, and the Dwarves left the tent singing some ancient song of theirs. 

When Toby woke up late the next morning it was to the sound of hundreds of hammers. Not the bang and pounding sound of most hammers, but this sound was musical it followed a ancient song the Dwarves had worked to for more years than anyone could remember. The sound didn't rattle the mind and jar the nerves, but instead it invigorated, it inspired. 

Toby was alone, so he dressed quickly, noting as he did that somehow his clothes had been cleaned and set out for him just as if they were still in the School. Out side everyone had gone to the other side of the big tents. As soon as he rounded the tents he knew why they were all there. Thousands of Dwarves were at work taking the School apart granite stone by granite stone. There were tall stacks of stones everywhere with colored markings on them. And as he watched the stacks grew visibly taller as stones were removed from the School and stored out on the lawns. 

His growling stomach told him finally that he had better get something to eat. It had been short rations the day before with no lunch and a hurried supper. Inside the big tent with all the tables he found Sam and his friends just finishing their morning meal. Even Sheba had finished eating. He grabbed a plate and started to look for the food line, but Sam caught him. "Just sit down Toby the Elves have it all working again, and your food will just appear as always." 

Sam had obviously told them all about his contacts and his eyes cus he cought them staring at him every now and then. No one said anything, and by the time he had filled his plate the third time no one paid any attention to his eyes at all. He was Toby and they were his friends. Toby was very glad and very relieved. He had so hoped no one would mind and clearly they didn't think anything more about it. This was Hogwarts after all where everyone was a little different in one way or another. 

They were allowed to watch the Dwarves as long as they went no further than the backs of the large tents. The Dwarves had almost the entire grounds covered with stacked stones and debris from the Demolished School and it wasn't safe for them to go any nearer. Besides the Dwarves would yell at them if they went anywhere near one of their piles of stones. By noon the School was down to ground level, and still the stream of stones kept coming. 

They spent an hour trying to count how many Dwarves there were, but it was impossible to count them. They moved so fast and were mixing around so much they couldn't keep track of them. One thing was certain. No human construction crew could have ever matched the Dwarves for getting a job done. Even with all the technology to help them humans simply could never work as hard or as fast as the Dwarves. Of course the Dwarves were cheating outrageously. They were using magic. 

No sooner was a stone loosed from it's place than it disappeared and reappeared on a stack, where a Dwarf marked it with a colored code to indicate where it had come from, and where of course it would go back. 

When it rained the Dwarves worked. When it didn't rain the Dwarves worked. When the sun was up the Dwarves worked, and when the sun wasn't up the Dwarves worked. The Dwarves worked. 

In one day the School was disassembled. Hagrid had to go get the dead Basilisk, the Dwarves wouldn't touch it. Hagrid built a huge prier and burned the Basilisk to ashes then Dwarves dug a deep hole, and Hagrid put the ashes into it, and covered it over. 

On day two the new foundations were laid. 

On day three the School was back to ground level. 

On day four the School was three stories high. 

On day five the Towers were completed. 

On day six they moved back into the School. 

When they returned to there dorm their trunks and all their possessions were just as if they had all stepped out for a moment and returned to find everything just as before. There was no smell of new paint or saw dust. No new shiny surfaces. Every thing was just as it had been. 

That night they gathered in the Great Hall for their first meal together since the disaster. Many People sat at the teachers table. Toby saw his mother and grandmother, and he ran up and hugged them both then returned to his place beside Sam with Sheba between them. Dumbledore stood up and McGonagall taped her glass so it rang loudly. 

"My dear students, teachers and guests, we have so much to be thankful for this night. Our School is returned to us just as it was. Despite the disaster that befell us no one died or was seriously hurt. Nothing lasting at lest. I asked the Dwarves to come tonight, but they refused. Master Gimmly told me they had received all the thanks and vindication they could ever want when I requested that they build it back just as his Great Grandfather had built it one thousand years ago. But I say publicly all our thanks to the Dwarves." 

Everyone clapped and cheered for the Dwarves. 

"We must thank the Ministry of Magic for all the help that they sent us and so quickly. We were out of the rain and had food to eat thanks to them, and all the volunteers that pitched in and helped. 

Everyone clapped and cheered for the Ministry and the volunteers. 

"I especially want to thank two witches, Mrs. LaRaina Figg, and Mrs. Arabella Wright, without who's help some of us might not be here tonight. Two very special healers. 

Everyone clapped and cheered for Toby's Mother and Grand Mother. 

Hagrid stood up quickly and said, "an we all owe our vary lives to Professors Dumbledore, Snap, McGonagall, and Longbottom, fir sending that Balrog back to were ever it came from." 

Everyone clapped, cheered and whistled for the Professors. 

"Thank you Hagrid, but you are owed a big thank you for your handling of the crisis right from the beginning you took charge and provided the leadership everyone needed to make all the students and teachers safe." 

Everyone clapped, cheered and whistled for Hagrid. 

"There are many more heroes who did brave deeds and helped above and beyond the call of duty. However there is one young man who is responsible for us all still being alive. The Minister of Magic will now speak to you." 

The room was dead silent as Cornelius Fudge stood up and addressed them. "It is rare indeed that we of the Ministry present this award. It takes an act of courage, skill and compassion to earn this award. In this case, the act of one student at this school saved the lives of all the rest. He warned of the Balrog's attack and made it possible to see the creature so it could be fought, and he gave warning in time so the school could be evacuated with out the loss of a single life. The attack of a Balrog is no small thing. It is by far one of the most fearsome of magical creatures. It exhausted Professors Dumbledore, Snape, McGonagall and Longbottom nearly to the point of death to defeat it. They did defeat it and it is thanks to this student that they had the time to do it. 

That however wasn't all he did. Once he and all the others were clear of the school he provided sound counsel to Hagrid as to how to proceed, he summoned his mother to come and begin medical treatment of the injured, though he himself received a serious injury. He worked tirelessly to help in the care of the injured, and to assist his mother and latter his Grand Mother in caring for the hurt. He did many other things that day that will eventually be written in a new chapter of Hogwarts a History. 

He is the youngest person to ever receive the Order of Merlin First Degree. Mrs. Wright would you please present this to your son." 

There was dead silence as Toby's Mother stood up and motioned for Toby to come up to her. Only a very few had known until that moment the details of the discovery of the Balrog and it's eventual defeat. Now they all watched as a small boy walked very shakily up to the front and received the medallion placed over his head and around his neck. 

Arabella and her mother LaRraina, both Jinns of great power, watched with pride, and yes with hope as Toby received his award. The pride was understandable, but the hope? Well you see no male of Jinn - human crossbreeding has ever live to be five, much less see his eleventh year. ( Writter's note. The Jinn are a type of Genie. Howerver they do not have the Genie's weakness. Put a Jinn in a bottle, you not only have one mad Jinn, you also have a broken bottle.) 

Toby returned to his seat. His ears were ringing and his mind filled with the noises around him. He was happy to have such an award but truthfully he didn't feel he deserved it. He had only done what was right not what was easy. And somehow it seemed wrong to him to reward him for doing what he should have done anyway. Sam seemed happy for him, and his friends all told him how great it was for him to receive the award but... well he'd just have to get used to it he supposed finally. 

Then it was Sam's turn along with Hermione. They were given awards too. Minister Fudge introduced them. "During the first hours of the crisis two very brave young ladies made themselves useful in a very great way. There were many injured by flying glass and debris. Many were bleeding heavily. Hermione Granger and Samantha Whitby, both worked diligently to save lives and assist Mrs. Wright in her efforts to heal the injured. To them I am awarding the Order of Merlin second degree. Would you both come forward." 

Toby's mother gave them each their medallions and a hug. 

Sam seemed as embarrassed as Toby had now that she had received her award. "Now you know how I feel." Toby whispered. "But I'm proud of you Sam." 

She smiled then dropped her eyes to look at the medallion. 

After all the speeches were over they got to eat. Somehow it just felt good to sit at the table with his friends and enjoy their talk and companionship. They were all, strange as it may seem, eager to get back to their classes, and get things back to normal. The Ghosts were back and Fat Friar came by and congratulated Toby "My boy you have no idea how terrible it was not having the School here for those few days. We Ghosts are here for a reason and it was almost painful to not have our beloved halls to roam. I for one am very grateful to all those Dwarves for rebuilding the school so quickly and so perfectly just as it was. I do hope they have come up with a way to make sure there isn't a repeat of this last weeks events." 

Toby agreed. He certainly didn't want another repeat either. "I'm sure they will do their best Sir I don't think they want it to happen again either." 

Toby was slowly becoming aware of something. Something or someone was watching him. He could feel the eyes, but no one seemed to be paying attention to him at all, except for occasional glances and smiles his way. Who ever it was didn't have good intentions either. Their was evil in the feeling. Sheba caught the feeling as well and began to look around. Neither of them could find the source and soon it was time to go to bed. Toby ran up to his Mother and Grand Mother and hugged them both and told them he loved them. He also gave his Mother his medallion. "Take it home please Mother and put somewhere safe. I don't want anything to happen to it and I know it will be safe at home." 

"I agree Toby, I know just where I will put it too. Right out were everyone can see it." She told him with pride. 

"Oh mom. Your embarrassing me." Toby told her blushing. 

"My Toby I am so very proud of you. I want everyone to see what my son has accomplished. Now run along. Your friends are waiting for you. I love you Toby." 

Toby hugged her again then ran to his waiting friends, he looked back once and saw his mum talking to Professor Snape, then he was off down the halls to the Hofflepuff dorms for some study and then bed. 

The next morning it was breakfast and then off to Defense against the Dark Arts. Professor Longbottom seemed to almost be in a good mood as they filed in. She even smiled at Toby and Sam and petted Sheba, who always preferred to come to class with Toby and Sam. 

"Last week before we were interrupted we were discussing some of the more famous or as it were infamous Dark Wizards and Witches of the Past. Do any of you remember any of them?" 

Sam raised her hand and answered when called on. "Morgana, Professor." 

"Yes she is one of the more famous Witches. Do you remember who she was?" 

"Yes mamma. She was Merlin's arch nemesis." 

"Very good Sam. Yes she was Merlin's arch enemy. She was especially good at illusions and potions. Now do any of you remember the order of events last Thursday?" 

"We all do Professor." One girl answered without waiting to be called on. 

"Good suppose you tell us the order of events then." Professor Longbottom told her fixing her with an icy glare. 

"The Balrog appeared and you sent us all running for our lives I guess." The girl answered. 

"Anyone else have anything to add to that, or is that it?" There was an edge to her voice that said someone had better remember something else. 

Sam put her hand up again, and the Professor looked around the room before she nodded for Sam to answer. "You were telling us about the Dark Witches and Wizards of the past and Toby didn't look like he was paying attention. When you got his attention he told you that something terrible was coming, something that was hungry and wanted to kill us. We couldn't see anything so Toby did some kind of spell and suddenly there was this horrible creature trying to get into the room. Then you sent us to tell Professor McGonagall and put Toby and I in charge of seeing to it that the other students stayed together and reached Professor McGonagalls classroom together. Which they did or rather we all did." 

Professor Longbottom smiled. "That was very good Sam, and I might add a perfect testimony as to the events of that morning, and worth five points for Hofflepuff. Now as Sam said the Balrog was hidden from us. Toby what spell was it you used that day?" 

"It was the 'Reveal Hidden' spell mamma." Toby told her already knowing what she was up to. 

"Class there are three people in this room who are hiding from you. Do any of you know who they are, and where they are. Besides you Toby that is I have already noticed you looking at them." 

Everyone looked around and reached out and tried to find someone invisible. No one found anyone. And they all gave up. 

"Toby I want you to draw the rune for the spell and show it to Sam, lets see if she can do it just from a drawing." 

Since they had already done this in Transfiguration class before it was much easier for Sam this time. She traced the rune once on paper then when the Professor nodded she used her wand. Like running water that settles and clears, there were ripples in the air, and then there were Professor Dumbledore, Harry Potter in an invisibility cloak, and a Ravenclaw girl named Stella, also in an invisibility cloak. 

Professor Dumbleldore smiled happily and told the class. "That spell is going to be taught to every student in this school. As you saw, Sam learned it in one try. My dear students we have every reason to believe that there have been numerous visits in the past by persons who did not belong here. We have decided to begin the practice of casting that spell every time any of us enter a room for the first time. All of you will be practicing that spell until you get it perfect. Harry and Stella will stay here today and help you to learn the spell. They will both receive extra credit for this assistance, although truthfully neither of them need it. I will not be able to stay I'm sorry to say, but I know Harry and Stella will do quite nicely." 

Professor Dumbledore left and Professor Longbottom had Toby show Sam the 'Revoke Spell" charm so Harry and Stella would become invisible again, and she had the class split into two groups. Toby with one group and Sam with the other. Toby got mostly Ravenclaws, and Sam had mostly Hofflepuffs. Most of the Ravenclaws caught on very quickly, and Stella became visible over and over again as each learned the spell and the counter charm. 

Toby at first was very bashful with Stella. She was a sixth year and very, vary pretty. However she was so nice and easy to be around that he soon forgot his shyness and relaxed and enjoyed the class time with them. Twice Stella had to speak harshly to students who weren't listening or didn't try hard enough. But everyone did learn the spell. 

Everyone had a very good time that class. It was fun for them all to learn new magic and have live subjects to test it on. Harry and Stella were very much in demand for the next couple of weeks as they helped class after class to learn and perfect the 'Revel Hidden' spell. 

No one minded going to History class, it was just nice to be back in classes again. At lunch time everyone was happy and cheerfully. After lunch back in their common room Sam again worked with them, this time on their Astronomy. They had to learn the constellation of Orion, and about the positions of the Big and little Dippers, or as they were also called Ursa Major and Minor and the North Star about which they circle. 

That evening as they studied, Toby again became aware of a presence watching him. With great care he reached inside his robe and pulled out his wand and did the 'Reveal Hidden' spell. There was a snarling sound like a angry animal then a loud tearing sound. The air in the common room rippled and shivered as something tried desperately to keep from becoming visible. There was a long load wail and then it disappeared leaving the room in an uproar. Professor Flitwick was summoned and soon Dumbledore arrived as well. After explaining what he had felt and done Dumbledore asked him, "And you say you felt the presence yesterday in the Great Hall?" 

"Yes Sir I did but there were so many people and so much confusion that I couldn't locate it. Tonight was different. I couldn't see it but I could feel it and where it was." Toby told them. 

"Was it watching you Toby?" Professor Flitwick asked concerned. 

"No, I don't think so. It would have seen me go for my wand and it didn't. No I had the feeling it was interested in someone else, but I don't know who. It was just watching is all Sir." Toby couldn't explain it better than that. 

"Could you sense anything else about it Toby?" Dumbledore asked quietly as if he were almost afraid of the answer. 

"Yes it was angry, disappointed and it wanted something to happen very badly, but I don't know what it was Sir. These are all just feelings Sir they are very hard to put words to." Toby told him honestly. 

"I understand Tobius, I really do. Very well. You did exactly as you should have. Do not be afraid to use that spell any time you have one of those feelings. You can't hurt anyone with it and it may save lives again one day. Very good Tobius, that will be all. I'm fairly sure it won't be back tonight nor perhaps for sometime. You have given it something to think about that it hadn't counted on, and I for one say good!" Dumbledore then left and Flitwick stayed with them for a while to settle any 'nerves' that some might have had. 

Astronomy class was fun. They as a group when up to the highest tower and listened to lectures and looked through a telescope at stars. They learned about the stories told by the constellations and about the different houses in the sky. Some nights it was hard to stay awake but most of the time they were all held in thrall with the stories and signs written in the sky. 

Time passed and the School settled down into it's normal routine. When Halloween arrived the School held a huge ball. Everyone was invited and the School Ghosts made an impressive entrance at the beginning of the festivities. A rock group know as the 'Enchanted bag-hags' performed and surprisingly they were excellent, in a eire sort of way. 

As soon as they found out about the dance Toby had asked Sam to go to it with him. He liked Sam far to much not to ask her. The other boys had to be teased into asking girls to go with them, but all in all they were glad that someone had cared enough to tease them into it. 

Sheba distained to go. She had other matters to attend to. Two days before Halloween she had delivered five kittens. She had been getting rather plump but everyone attributed it to all the good food provided her by all her friends, which included just about everyone in the School. 

Toby and the boys had come up to their dorm after a wet cold afternoon with Hagrid and with Herboligy, and they had run into their dorm not suspecting anything. Toby spotted Sheba laying on his bed and went over to tell her about Hagrids class, when he saw the tinny new kittens nuzzled up to her getting their dinner. "Sheba!" Toby exclaimed. The other boys ran over to see what the matter was. "Oh boy! Oh boy!" Guy hooted and hollered. 

Orion just starred at them and smiled. Tie looked them over and announced, "I had better go get Sam. She'd be really mad if we didn't tell her right off about the new kittens." 

A few minutes latter Sam ran in. Now strictly speaking girls were not allowed in the boys dorms and visa versa. However all things being equal no one was about to gainsay her seeing the kittens especially since Jay her brother came with her and he was a Prefect. 

"Oh how precious." Sam exclaimed. "Sheba they're beautiful." 

Sheba nodded in agreement that in fact they were indeed beautiful. 

At the sound of Sam's voice one of the kittens, a calico, raised it's head from dinner and turned it awkwardly towards Sam and meowed at her. Everyone was surprised at the tinny still blind kittens reaction, including Sheba who looked in surprise at the kitten as it tried to get up and go towards Sam. 

Sam stared at the kitten then asked Sheba, "may I pet him Sheba? He seems to want me." 

Sheba thought it over then nodded guardedly. "Don't worry I'll be careful." Sam assured her. 

Carefully she reached out and with one finger she touched the tinny cat. It reacted by meowing again and pressing upward against Sam's finger. Satisfied that Sam was there the kitten returned to it's dinner. Everyone else wondered at such strange behavior in a newborn kitten. 

The Halloween Ball was a total success. Toby and Sam danced, they bobbed for apples, they ate to much, and they had all the fun any one could ask for. Toby danced with lots of different girls, he had no idea he was so popular. Sam danced with quite a few boys as well. The party had to end, and it did at two AM in the morning. Toby had not in his whole life been to anything like the Holloween Ball at Hogwarts. Before he fell asleep with six cats sharing his bed, he told Sheba all the highlights. Then he went fast asleep. 

The Next day was a Saturday, so everyone slept in and they needed to. Once he was up Toby and Orion picked up Sheba and the kittens in the basket that the Elves had fashioned for them and took then down stairs to the common room. Sheba loved to be where she could see everything that was going on, and still be able to take care of her kittens. Everyone else loved to see Sheba and the kittens, so this arrangement pleased them all. 

The calico kitten was definitely Sam's. If he heard her voice he meowed as load as he could until she came and petted him and talked to him. Sam had already decided on a name for him. Weezer. Why? Even she didn't know, but he already answered to it so there was no changing it now. Only one other kitten exhibited the same behavior. The black one. He would raise his head as if listening and meow now and then as if trying to find someone, but no one in the common room suited him, so it was a mystery for the time being. 

By mid November the Kittens were allowed to go out side with Sheba, Sam and Toby. They went to Hagrids class with them one afternoon. It is uncertain who was the most surprised that a day. Fang or the Kittens. Fang froze in his tracks when the kittens began to hiss and spit at him. He had come bounding up glad to see Sheba, but the reaction of the kittens surprised him. Sheba hissed right back at the kittens, and basically told them off for such a poor showing of their manners when visiting a friend. Two hours latter poor fang was almost glad to see the kittens go. Once assured that he was a friend they had gone to work to have their usual fun with a friend. That included stalking, batting at his tail, his ears and anything else that dared to move. They climbed up his legs and if he laid down they were all over him mock fighting each other and of course Fang. 

From then on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, and any other time they could get their mother to take them on an outing, it was fun time with uncle Fang. Hagrid thought it hilarious to see the huge boar hound covered with playing kitten. Fang for the most part took it all stoically and with much long suffering. No one had any idea that Fang actually liked the kittens until one day a weasel came running out of the forest and tried to grab one of the kittens to kill it and probably eat it. The kitten was too far away from any of them to save it, but not for Fang's long legs. Hagrid admitted he had never see Fang move so fast in his life as that day. The end results was one dead weasel and a very frightened kitten who received several scoldings from Sheba, Sam and Toby, and then Sheba again. From then on none of the kittens went anywhere near the forest. 

Two weeks latter in December the mystery of whom the black kitten was seeking was solved. The kittens were now eating solid food, and followed their mother to the Great Hall for breakfast every morning. There were too many of them now to sit at the table with Sam Toby, so they had their own small table at the end of the hall were they each had a bowel of meat every morning and usually some milk to go along with it. They were just finishing their breakfast when suddenly the black kitten heard the voice he had been listening for. Like an arrow he leaped off the low table and shot across the floor to the Ravenclaw table. He raced under the table between numerous legs and leaped up into the lap of the person he had been looking for. She sat there dumfounded as the kitten purred and rubbed it's head against her and demanded to be petted. 

Stella knew about the kittens and had seen them several times. She loved cats and her hands itched to go pet them but she had always been going somewhere important before when she had seen them. Now here was a black kitten carrying on as if she were it's long lost mother. After petting it for several moments she reluctantly got up and took it over to Toby. 

"This belong to you?" 

Toby looked up from his plate, and came to an almost instantaneous conclusion. "Er. Stella I think he thinks he belongs to you. Or to put it properly, you belong to him." 

"Your serious? I can have one of Sheba's kittens?" Stella asked surprised, and excitedly. 

"He picked you, but lets go ask Sheba. She'll know." Toby told her. 

Stella felt a little silly going to ask a cat if she could have one of her kittens, but Toby seemed to think it was the right thing to do so she followed along. 

Toby approached Sheba who had one of the kittens pinned down and was giving it a bath despite it's vehement protest. "Sheba, the black kitten wants to be with Stella, is that ok with you?" 

Sheba looked up and seemed to say, "It sure took you long enough to figure it out. What's the problem here?" Then she went back to bathing the struggling kitten. 

"I guess he's yours Stella. Weezer already sleeps with Sam so I imagine yours will want to do the same. Just bring him with you to meal times and I'm sure everything will work out just fine." Toby told the astonished Stella. Who then turned and went back to her place at the Ravenclaw table clutching the purring kitten tightly to her. From then on Max was hers and she was his. 

As the Christmas holidays approached everyone was excited to get to go home and see their families. Everyone that is except Toby. Something was wrong. First he felt hot, then he felt cold. Then his teeth hurt, then his toes. No matter what he did he just felt worse and worse. Finally he asked to go to see the School nurse. She took a close look at him and took him by the arm and sat him down. 

"Toby you have to go home now." She told him sincerely. She turned to Sheba who had naturally followed along, with her three remaining kitten, "Sheba open a portal to your home. Toby has to go home now and I have to talk to Arabella." 

Sheba looked at Toby then opened the portal. In minutes Toby was home, and in his bed. Madam Pomfrey was in the living room talking to his mother and he was slowly drifting off into never, never land. 

  
  
Chapter 5 Tobius the Jinn?  
  


Click here to E-Mail Michael if you have any comments. 

  


  
  
  
  


© 2001 M V Stevens. This site is an independent Harry Potter fan website. It is in no way related to J.K. Rowling, Mary Grand Pre, Scholastic, Bloomsbury or Arthur A. Levine Books or Warner Bros. Films all of whom own rights to the commercial exploitation of Harry Potter. That's their job. From what I've seen of the trailer for the Harry Potter movie, Warner Bros. is doing a great job and I look forward to seeing the movie. I want no monetary gain from my web site and I intend no infringement to anyone's rights. 


	5. Tobius the Jinn.

**Tobius, a Hogworts Adventure **  
by M V Stevens  


  
  
This story contains Charactors and places which were  
created by J.K.Rowling and is Fan Fiction.  
  
**Chapter 5 Tobius the Jinn?**   
  
When Sam returned to the common room she looked for Toby, but he was not to be found. Orion and Tie went up to the dorm and returned quickly to tell her that Toby's things were gone and so were Sheba and the other kittens. Sam kept watch for Toby until dinner time then she went straight to the head table and asked Dumbledore, "what happened to Toby. His things are gone and so are Sheba and the kittens, except for Weezer and Max." 

Dumbledore looked troubled as he answered her. "Toby is sick. He has gone home early for the holidays. I'm sorry he wasn't given a chance to say good-by but it was best that he go home quickly, where his mother can take care of him." 

Sam was worried now. "What's wrong with him Sir? He didn't seem all that bad in class today, just cold and then hot." 

"Yes I know Sam, but in his case we felt it best to send him home just to be on the safe side. I'm sure he will be just fine and he will be back next year after the holidays. Run along Sam and don't worry. Have fun on the Holidays." Dumbledore dismissed her abruptly. 

Sam had Owled home and had permission to bring Weezer home with her so the next morning she and her brother and all their friends left on the Express for home and a very Merry Christmas. Sam worried often about Toby but there was nothing she could do. None of her Owls were returned, and she had no idea what had happened to Toby. 

Finally the day came to go back to school. She packed up everything, including Toby's Christmas present. Weezer didn't want to go into his travel cage, but she told him he'd be seeing Sheba and the other kittens soon, so he co operated and off they went. The Express was steaming merrily when she and her trunk passed through the barrier and with her brother's help she got her trunk stored in a compartment with Orion, Guy and Tie. "Have any of you heard from Toby." She asked them quickly. 

"No. We had hoped you would have." Tie answered. 

"I haven't either." She told them. "Now I'm worried. I was going to chew him out for not answering my owls, but now I scared for him. I had the strangest dreams about him at home. It seemed as if he were trying to talk to me in my dreams. Isn't that weird?" 

"Nope." Guy answered for the rest. "We were talking just before you got here, and we all had the same dreams too. Toby has been trying to talk to us. I'm sure of it now. What can be wrong with him?" 

They all discussed their dreams with each other then. It turned out that they had each been flying in their dreams and Toby had flown up to each of them and tried to tell them something. None of them had any idea what he had tried to tell them but it was clear that he had been excited about what ever it was. 

They arrived at Hogwarts and climbed into one of the coaches that were waiting for the students. The coaches had no driver and no horses pulled them. But as soon as they were inside it lurched forward and followed the one in front of it down the snow covered road towards the brightly lit school. 

As soon as they were through the front doors they all ran as fast as they could to the Hofflepuff common room and Sam waited down stairs while the boys ran upstairs to see if Toby was there. They came back quickly and told Sam, "No Toby. None of his stuff is in our room. I guess we had better get to the Great Hall, and get our supper, and see if someone know what's happened." Tie decided. Again off they ran. 

Everyone was in a festive mood from the holidays, and there was a lot of talking and joking as the settled down for there meal. No one knew anything about Toby however and Sam was beginning to get worried. When finally the meal was done she could stand it no more and she ran up to the head table and started to ask Dumbledore where Toby was. Dumbledore had seen her and smiled at her. "Have no fear Sam. Toby is getting better every day. I checked with his mother today and she said if you like you may come and visit him on Tuesday afternoon. Now will you be able to smile as you normally do? I noticed how you've been scowling so at the table tonight." 

"Your sure he's doing all right then?" Sam asked eager to be reassured. 

"His mother assured me that he is young lady so off you go tell Tuesday afternoon. I believe Sheba will open a portal for you in the Hofflepuff common room so make sure your there on time." Dumbledore finished, smiling at her kindly over his half glasses. 

"Thank you Sir, thank you very much and I'll be there on time." Sam hurriedly answered and ran off to tell the boys what she had found out. 

Dumbledore watched Sam running off and out the big doors of the Great Hall. He turned and bumped into Professor Mcgonagall. She also had watched. "Toby is very lucky to have such a good friend as Sam." She sighed. 

"My dear it's what we do here at Hogwarts. Only half of our job is to teach them their subjects. The most important thing we accomplish here is to help them grow as persons, and to help them find friendships that will last them the rest of their lives. Harry, Ron, and Hermione are one good example of our shining successes. I believe Sam, Toby, and the other boys that share his room will be another example to look back on one day and feel good about." 

As soon as Sam reached the common room she was pounced on by the boys, and she quickly filled them in on what Dumbledore had told her. "You get to go visit." Orion complained. "Do ya think we might get to also?" 

"I don't see why not." Sam assured them. "Sheba is going to open a portal here to the common room so as soon as I go through I'll ask if you three can come too." 

That made them all feel better. They settled down and went over their transfigureation and potions chapters for the next day. 

It always seems to take forever for a special day you are waiting for to arrive. Much like the old adage about a watched pot never boiling. But Tuesday afternoon finally did arrive. As promised a portal appeared and Sam crawled through it and disappeared. Everyone else in the common room sat waiting to hear from Sam. The whole school of course knew about the event. You couldn't keep a secret in a school like Hogwarts no matter how hard you tried. For one thing there were entirely too many student that were good at divination to expect to keep a secret, some were even known before they became secrets. 

Sam stepped out into the beautiful living room of Toby's home. Arabella was waiting for her as she stepped out into her home. Sheba was waiting just as expectantly to see her kittens, as well as Sam. Both Weezer and Max had come along. While Sheba and her kittens greeted each other Arabella hugged Sam and told her. "Toby has asked about you every day Sam." 

"Can I see him now? Oh, and the boys that share his room want to know if they can come too?" 

"In a bit I will let them come through to see Toby, but first I have to prepare you for the change that Toby is going through. He is still the same boy you knew last year before Christmas, but he has changed quite a bit in his appearance. I don't think it will be permanent. At lest not all the changes, but please don't upset him by overreacting to his changed appearance." 

"I don't care if he looks sick or anything, Mrs. Wright. Toby's my friend." Sam assured her. 

"It's not just that although he has been very sick. He almost died. But the worst is over now." 

"Died!" Sam said in shock. "I thought he just had a cold or flu or something like that." 

"No Sam it's nothing like that at all. Toby couldn't catch a cold if he tried. This is quite different. All boys go through changes when they go through puberty. But for Toby it has been catastrophic . So promise me you won't make a fuss. Ok Sam?" 

Sam couldn't imagine anything that could make her overreact to seeing Toby, but she promised anyway. "Yes mamma I promise." She followed Toby's mother down a hallway and into large darkened bedroom. It was well that she had promised not to make a fuss. Nothing could have prepared her for the sight of Toby laying in his bed. Nothing... 

In stead of the shorter than average eleven year old boy with brown hair and lavender eyes, and average appearance there lay on the bed a golden creature, shinning like a search light. No hair, and his face was round and chubby. The rest of his body was the same all golden and shiny. Only his eyes remained the same, but now they glowed with an inner light. 

True to her word she didn't make a fuss or even catch her breath. She stopped at the door for a moment then said in as calm a voice as she could muster, "Toby, they finally let me come to visit you." 

The creature on the bed stirred and it's eyes focused on her. Then she knew it was Toby. "Sam? Is that you? I can't see very well, but mother says that I will see just fine in a few more days. I really missed you Sam." 

It was Toby all right, but his voice had changed like the rest of him. Now it was distorted and very metallic. 

Sam walked over and sat on the bed edge and took Toby's hand. It was almost too hot to hold. But she did it anyway because she didn't want him to think she thought anything was wrong. "Sam your hand is cold." Toby told her sincerely. 

"It'll warm up quick enough." She responded. "How are ya feeling Toby. I brought some of your home work with me just in case you feel like doing it. Latter that is not now." 

"Thanks Sam I knew I could count on you to make sure I didn't get too far behind. How's Weezer doing did you bring him to see Sheba?" Toby asked almost smiling. 

"Sure I did, and Max, Stella's kitten came too. The cats must have some way to talk to each other cus Max was waiting in our common room with Weezer when the Portal opened up." 

"Cool, I bet the other kittens were glad to see them." 

"Oh ya they were rubbing noses and all that cat stuff." 

"Did the others get to come?" Toby asked almost plaintively . 

"They're waiting in the common room to see if it's ok for them to come." 

"I think they're going to have to wait Sam, I don't feel so good again, and I'm getting sleepy. Will you come back again?" 

"Sure Toby as often as they'll let me. I'll be back." 

But Toby was already asleep. Sam pulled her hand out of Toby's and turned to Arabella. She nodded and lead her out of the room, closing the door behind her. Sam knew she would have to soak her hand in ice water when she got back. When they got to the front room Arabella took her hand and rubbed a salve on it. Instantly the pain and the redness disappeared. "Thank you Mrs. Wright. It did hurt." 

"No. Thank you Sam. You have no idea how important it was to Toby for you to come today. He really missies you and the others at Hogwarts. When I first agreed with Dumbledore to send him to Hogwarts I really didn't think it would work out. But you and the others being his friends has made all the difference to him. I think he is still alive because of your friendship." Arabella told her looking her in the eye. Then she hugged Sam tightly. "Sam I was so afraid I was going to lose him, the change was disrupting his human biology so severely that I thought he would die. Then I would hear him talking to you or one of the others in his dreams and he would grow stronger. Thank you Sam and the others as well for my babies life." Arabella almost sobbed as she finished. 

Sam was crying too, and told Arabella, "Did you know he really was talking to us. All of us had the same dreams over and over again. We would be flying and then there would be Toby flying with us, and we would shout and laugh at each other. None of us ever knew what he was saying but it always seemed so right to be flying with him. I'm glad it helped him. It helped me too." 

Everyone one was waiting when she climbed back through the Portal. "All I can tell you right now is I talked to him, he is getting better, but he was very weak. He fell asleep right in the middle of talking to me. He said he didn't feel good. So no more visits today. Mrs. Wright said we can try again on Thursday, so don't lose hope everyone, you will get to see him." 

His three dorm mates were visibly disappointed, and grumbled a bit, but they didn't want Toby to get sicker on their account. 

One of the older students came in through the closet and spotted Sam. "Professor Snape and Stella are waiting out side to talk to you Sam." 

Sam ran out through the back side of the closet and sure enough their were Professor Snape and Stella. Max came out with Sam and jumped up into Stella's arms. "He just had to go to see his mother didn't he?" 

Sam nodded and looked at Professor Snape. "The boy is all right? I mean he will live won't he?" 

Sam told him. "Yes sir but Mrs. Wright said he nearly died. And he looks so different." 

"That's was one of the risks she and her husband took back then. They knew if he was a boy the chances were not good. Arabella? She's all right as well?" There was a strange note to Snape's voice as he asked. 

"She looked very tired and she was crying when I left. So no I don't think she's all right." Sam admitted. 

Snape looked concerned as well, "I'll have to owl her right away. I had to be very hard on her to watch her son go through this, and not be able to help him. One more question and you can return to your common room. What color is he? Could you tell?" 

Stella was looking back and forth between Snape and Sam as the conversation developed and she mouthed 'color?' silently as a question. 

Sam had no idea how Professor Snape could have known about Toby's color change, but since he did she told him. "He was all metallic and golden sir. His face is all round and his head is bald, but he is definitely golden." 

To Sam's and Stella absolute astonishment Snape broke into a huge grin and did a dance around in a circle. "He's a gold, he's a gold. Oh how proud Arabella and LaRaina must be. Come along Stella I must tell Dumbledore about this miracle. The first Gold in over four thousand years! This is just too good of news." 

Sam stood and watched them disappear down the hall. Stella turned back and waved once, but Snape hurried her along, and they quickly disappeared. Shrugging to herself she returned to the common room to answer more questions. 

Thursday afternoon came and again the Portal appeared. This time Toby's mom climbed out and greeted them. "Toby is feeling much better today so if the four of you want, you can come now and visit Toby." 

To a choirs of "Thank yous" they all head through the Portal. Weezer and Max waited their turn and then they too jumped through to visit their mom and siblings. Toby was still in his bed, but he was at lest setting up this time. There was a choirs of "Hi Toby" then it was Orion who broke the ice. 

"Wicked! Toby you turned yourself all golden. This is one of your best tricks yet. Can you show me how to do it? Can ya?" 

"I don't think you'd want to if I could tell you how. It's what's made me so sick the last few weeks." Toby told his friend smiling. 

"You mean you made yourself sick turning yourself golden color? Orion asked naïvely . 

"Actually I am Gold." Toby told him. "Touch me and see." 

They all had to touch Toby and feel for them selves how he did feel like gold. "Wicked! Toby you must be worth millions, all gold and all. How did ya do it. I mean think about it we could turn all kinds of things into gold and be rich. Not ourselves of course since it makes you so sick to do it, but wow Toby we could all be rich." Orion when on without thinking. 

"Orion it's not that kind of spell. It's, well.... It's sort of like this is my anamagus form. Soon I'll be able to turn form one form to the other just like Professor McGonagall changes into a cat when she wants." Toby explained it as best he could. 

"Oh....Well ok but it would have been more fun to be able to turn other things into gold than just you. Are you like invulnerable or have special powers when your all golden?" Orion asked hopefully. He seemed to think there had to be something special that came from being all gold color. 

"I don't know yet." Toby told him, "but I think I will have special powers and all that kind of stuff. Jinni are supposed to have all kinds of powers and a Golden Jinn is the most powerful of all." 

"Wow! This is too cool." Tie exclaimed. "Your a Jinn Toby? That is sooooo wicked. I never knew a Jinn before, but I read about them when I was a kid. But Toby aren't Jinni supposed to be evil? All the ones I read about were." 

"Naw, that's all fairy stories. Jinni are just like everyone else, they can be good or bad. Mother is a Jinn and she's not bad and Grandmother is a Jinn and she's really nice. Mother says that there have been some bad Jinni but not many. The ones you have to watch out for are the Bo-Jinns, they are really evil and mean." Toby told them assuredly. 

Then it was Toby's turn to ask questions. He wanted to know all about what was happening at Hogwarts. Sam told him all about Hagrid bringing a Monitor for the class to talk to, and another time they had gotten to go to the lake and talk to the Squid that lived in the lake. "And the Squid even remembered you Toby he asked Hagrid where Toby was since he had promised to come talk to him." 

"What did Hagrid tell him? I remember I did promise him I'd come but they won't let us go over to the lake by ourselves anymore." 

"Hagrid told him the truth. That you were sick and you had to have a teacher to bring you to the lake because of all the trouble with Lord Voltemort. Then he told the Squid that he would bring you over to see him when you got well, so it should be ok one of these days." Sam reassured Toby. 

"How are things going in Professor Snape's class? He was here last nigh with Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall and Professor Longbottom. He even came in and said hello to me. If you can believe it he was nice to me." 

"No way!" Guy exclaimed. "You should have seen him in class yesterday. Charr Gillmore didn't pay attention when he told us to add our fly wings after the salamander tails, and to keep the heat very low so it wouldn't catch on fire and blow up. All of us had to go to the School nurse to have the boils removed from out faces and hands. Those boils hurt cus they kept spouting fire and lava out of um. Oh Snape was so mad. So were the rest of us too come to think about it. I guess he should have been mad. Those Ravenclaws think their so smart, and they're no better that the rest of us. They're so busy going on and on about stuff that they forget to listen to even simple instructions." 

Toby's mom brought them some cookies and milk then stood at the door listening to them chatter away with a smile on her face. None of the bad things she had been afraid of had happened. But then kids were that way they were blind to differences. They were friends and that was that. What would happen when the adults found out? Sure Dumbledore and Severus thought it was great, but they were educated and smart. Not everyone would feel that way, she was fairly well certain. 

As evening approached Sam and the boys had to return to Hogwarts. They all promised to return on Saturday to visit again. Sam had some homework for Toby to do so he would be busy as well. Toby said his good-byes then they all left through the Portal. He fell asleep happy that he had gotten to see and talk to his friends. 

Hogwarts carried on as it always did, however one thing had changed. Students and teachers had stopped casting the 'Revel Hidden' spell. Too busy and too preoccupied with day to day affairs they soon forgot to be cautious. No one noticed the return of the invisible presence. Not at first that is. 

When the cauldron blew up in Potions class that should have been a warning, but it went unheeded. Friday during Divination class a girl suddenly screamed, ran to the trap door, flung it open, and leaped down the opening screaming that they were all doomed. The students were shocked to say the lest and the girl latter could not even remember that she had done it. Again no one paid any attention. After all Divination was a spooky class anyway and it had probably just unnerved her, or so everyone thought. 

Saturday Morning, was a big Quiditch game between Gryfindor and Slytherin. The game was close, and violent. Suddenly the Slytherin Keeper stood up on his broom, and leaped through the center goal hoop, and did a swan dive straight into the ground. No he didn't die, but it scared everyone half to death. 

The game was stopped and everyone was sent back inside the castle. Dumbledore called a teachers meeting, clearly something was going on. 

"We have a problem, there have been three near disasters in less than a weeks time. I for one am certain that these events are not just random happenings. I don't know what is causing them or how they are being caused, but I am sure that they are not random events. Do any of you have any ideas? Right now I am ready to entertain almost any ideas if they will help us solve this problem." 

Professor Flitwick was sitting on a high stool spoke up. "Toby." 

Dumbledore raised his bushy eyebrows. "You think Toby had something to do with this?" 

Professor Flitwick almost feel off his stool as he shook his whole body to deny that meaning. "Oh! Heavens no! I mean Toby drove something out of the Hofflepuff common room. He said it had not be watching him but someone else, that it seemed disappointed that something hadn't happened yet. Perhaps this visitor has returned and it's making things happen now with out Toby to sense when it is around." 

Dumbledore beamed with satisfaction. "Yes! That does fit all the facts doesn't it. Oh my when we need him most he is gone. If everyone is in agreement I will go talk to Arabella and see when we can get him back. I doubt that we have see the last of this creatures efforts. If this is that creature then I suggest that everyone goes back to casting the 'Revel Hidden' spell again when you enter a room and any other time you feel like it. We let our gaurd down and look what it has gotten us." 

Saturday afternoon the Portal opened as expected and along with the kids Dumbledore climbed through the portal into Arabella's living room. While Toby's guests went back to see him, Dumbledore explained why he was their. 

"My dear Arabella we have another problem at Hogwarts." He began only to be put off by Arabella manners. 

"Dear Albus, come sit down and I will get us some tea. Then you may tell me what you need my Tobius for." She guided him to a comfortable chair and had him sit down. Then she left and quickly returned with a tea service on a tray. She poured out for both of them and after giving him some cookies she allowed him to continue. 

"We have had three disasters in four days time. Back in September just after we had returned to the School Toby detected something in the Hofflepuff common room. He cast his now famous 'Revel Hidden' spell, but instead of being reveled the creature resisted the spell and disappeared. At the time he told us that the creature had been watching someone waiting for something to happen, which never happened because Toby interfered with it. Now it appears to have returned and it nearly killed one of the students today during the Quiditch match between Gryfindor and Slytherin. We have been unable to detect the thing ourselves but we know Toby can. My Dear how soon can he return to Hogwarts he is needed badly?" 

Arabella considered his request for several minutes. "Albus I am not certain Toby will be up to anything like spook hunting for several weeks. It doesn't sound like Toby would be able to handle this one even if he did find it for you." 

Albus looked concerned. "Then we are at it's mercy dear lady. We have been unable to affect it at all." 

"Perhaps. Never the less Toby isn't the one you want. My Mother is just the person to handle this chore for you." 

"Arabella... I can't impose on her any more than I have already she has given up so much of her life and time to keeping Harry safe that I would be ashamed to ask more of her." Dumbledore sighed. 

"Oh dear Albus, Mother doesn't mind. She is so pleased that you trusted her with Harry that she feels as if she is in your debt, but just wait, I'll call her, and then we'll let her decide for herself, which is always best when dealing with Mother. She is after all one of the most strong will people I know of." 

Dumbledore smiled weakly, and sat back to wait for LaRaina's appearance. 

It was several minutes latter that Toby's Grandmother stepped through her own portal into her daughters living room. Dumbledore rose quickly to greet her and was thrilled to be hugged by her instead of just a hand shake. LaRaina might be over three hundred years old, but she was one of the most vibrant and beautiful women he had ever met. He didn't like to admit it but he had been deeply in love with her at one time. 

She took him to task immediately. "Now Albus what is this nonsense my daughter tell me about you not wanting to ask me for help?" She looked sad and downcast just to accent her words. "Are you trying to hurt my feeling?" 

Dumbledore knew she was actually teasing him, and thoroughly enjoying his discomfort. "The vary last thing in this world I would ever do dear LaRaina is anything that would hurt you. But I have asked so much of you, and have nothing to give you in return." 

"Oh don't be too sure about that Albus dear. I may have a very great proposition for you one of these days. Seeing my grandson make it through the change and learning so much in the process as both my daughter and l have... well it has made me think about having another child and a husband of course." She smiled at him coquettishly , looking like a cat about to eat the cannery. 

"Oh dear..." was about all Dumbledore could manage just at that moment. 

"Come over here and sit with me on the couch. Arabella do be a dear and pour out for me too, and freshen up Albus's as well. I think he may need a drink or two while he tells me all about this trouble." 

Arabella was all but doubled over laughing to see the look on Albus Dumbledore's face as her mother so cleverly managed him. 

In the end it was LaRaina Figg who figured out what it was that they were up against. After listening to Dumbledore she went in to talk to Toby. All the kids were glad to see her again, and ate the cookies and milk Arabella brought them as Toby told his Grandmother everything he could remember about his first experience with the creature. She asked him to tell her what his fleeting impressions were of the creature, and what it was doing. Then she told them. 

"If we are dealing with what I now think we are, there is much work to do if we are going to keep any more of the children from being attacked." 

"What is it then Mother?" Arabella asked concerned. 

"A Dowwer and a very powerful one at that." 

"A Dowwer?" Dumbledore questioned. "I thought they only existed in Eastern Europe. There haven't been any of those thing in Scotland for centuries. 

"There's one now." She told him dead serious. 

LaRaina and Dumbledore returned through the Portal to Hogwarts so she could began her efforts to exorcise the Dowwer spirit. Latter when Sam and the boys returned to Hogwart they found the other Hofflepuffs studying runes that had been scribed at various places on walls and floor and even up on the ceiling. Latter as they settled down after dinner to do some studying LaRaina returned and told then, "I want you boys to rearrange the tables so that there is a large circular opening here in the middle of the room." 

With much scraping and jostling about they finally had the furniture arranged to suit her. Then she took out her wand and after shaking it several times she drew a large circle on the floor. Then inside of the circle she scribed a pentagram, and inside of that a five pointed star. At the points of the star she scribed small runes. 

Stepping carefully around the circle she finished her work by inscribing a large rune in the center of the star. "Now listen very carefully. When I activate this circle of power, DO ... NOT ... STEP ... ANYWHERE ... NEAR ... IT...! Is that clear to all of you?" 

They all nodded 'yes' then watched totally enthralled as she raised her wand and pointing at each of the runes on the walls and ceiling she spoke words that none of them understood and each began to glow. Then she stepped back form the center circle and in a loud voice she spoke more words and it began to glow plusatingly. There was even a low throbbing sound that matched the pulsations. 

"Let me repeat. This is a very special trap. It is extremely powerful so stay away from it. If something should be trapped in it do not get close to it, you are all to leave the area and stay away until I or Albus Dumbledore arrive to deal with what is caught in it. If any of you are caught inside this trap it will mean a black mark against your record for the rest of your time at Hogwarts. Is that clear to all of you?" 

Again they all agreed that they understood, and satisfied she left to do the same in the other common rooms. 

They all went to bed that night wondering what the next day would bring. Next morning nothing had happened, but when they got to the Great Hall Professor McGonagall greeted them at the door and directed them up the side isles and away from the center isle because there was now a large trap in the center of the Great Hall. Breakfast was somewhat subdued as they were all keenly aware of the low thrumming sound and the pulsating light coming from the large trap in the center of the room. 

Monday came and went with no results. Tuesday dawned bright and sunny and everyone was in a much better mood. As the students were filling in for breakfast Neville Longbottom entered the Great Hall in his usual inattentive manner. Little did he know that Draco Malfoy and his friends Crabbe and Goyle had a little surprise waiting for him. Just as he entered Goyle shoved him down the center isle while Crabbe and Draco threw hands full of round candies onto the floor. Neville let a scream heard throughout the entire school. He stumbled and slid straight towards the glowing trap. 

Malfoy and Crabbe we standing just in front of the trap throwing more candies onto the floor, and as Neville came spinning by he managed to grab Crabbe and pull him onto the candy covered isle. Crabbe of course grabbed Draco and all three of them went spinning out of control. Goyle seeing his friends in trouble rushed unthinkingly out into the candy covered isle and crashed out of control into Crabbe who happened at that precise moment to be spinning by and their combined momentum carried the three of them straight into the waiting trap. Neville on the other hand spun away from the trap, and slid out of sight under the Hufflepuff table were he emerged moments latter looking as if he had no idea what had happened. 

By the time the teachers arrived to survey the seen Neville had sat down at his normal place and was looking for something to eat. But suspended in the air inside the glowing circle were three boys. Draco, Crabbe and Goyle. They were spread eagle their arms and legs straight out from their bodies, and it was obvious that they could not move a muscle, because they were all turning blue from lack of air. 

LaRaina came hurrying in and almost fell as she ran into the candies. Dumbledore and Snape fortunately caught her and steadied her as professor McGonagall used her wand to sweep all the candies together into a pile to the side of the isle. LaRaina walked up to the suspended trio and pulled out her wand. She looked at Dumbledore. "Shall we see how much bluer they can get or shall I let them lose?" Dumbledore looked up at the bright blue boys and grinned impishly. "As much as I do like the color of blue I think it best you set them free." 

"I was afraid you'd feel that way, very well." She raised her wand and traced several runes in the air. 

Tuddd....Plop.....Crraaakkk! 

The tree suspended boys hit the ground and lay there their chest heaving as they tried to get enough air into themselves. As they struggled to get up dozens of candies spilled out of all three boys pockets. All the evidence anyone needed to see who was responsible for this mess. "It was Neville Longbottom." all three boy tried to say as they got their air back. "It was him who pushed us into the trap." 

Witnesses all agreed Neville had slipped under the Hufflepuff table, but no had seen anyone but Draco, Crabbe and Goyle near the trap. And since Neville had no candies in his pockets and was sitting two tables away from the seen of the crime, no one not even Snape believed them. "The evidence clearly shows that you three carried out this stupid act all on your own. Trying to involve someone else, much less blame someone else for what a dozen witnesses have clearly indicated that you three acted alone to enter the trap, although why you would be so stupid is beyond me, is pointless." Snape snarled at them. 

Dumbledore looked sad and told them, "go to your seats and eat your breakfast. After everyone else leaves remain in your seats. We will discuss with you then what is to be done with you." 

What was done with them was that they got to scrub every floor and hall in the school on their hands and knees, except the other Houses common rooms and dorms. They were to be supervised the entire time and if any floor didn't meet the requirement of their supervisor they had to do it all over again. It took them a month to complete their punishment, and they still had to attend classes and do homework. 

Meanwhile the school waited for the traps to be sprung by the Dowwer. It was a week latter to the day when the Dowwer made it's biggest mistake of it's existence. After the fact it was clear that it was trying to get a Gryffendor student to do something. No one knew which student, but in the process of concentrating on the hapless student the Dowwer crossed in front of one of the runes scribed on the walls in the Gryffendor common room. 

Wammmmm! 

Clang! Clang! Clang! went the klaxon. 

Students screamed and shouted. 

Teachers came running from all over the school just in case their help was need. 

First they emptied the common room of students just to be on the safe side. Then LaRaina arrived with Dumbledore and the fun began. "Well, well what have we here?" LaRaina taunted it. 

What ever it was it was now a shapeless black cloud held ridged inside the Trap. It's evil eyes glowed with malevolent light as it watched LaRaina as she slowly walked around it. "Went and got your self caught did ya now?" She continued as she slowly circled the glowing eyes never leaving hers. 

"Question is how'd ya get here and who made it possible for you to be here. Some one opened a way for you and I intend to know who that someone is." 

She continued around the trapped creature. She made a gesture with her wand and the creature howled with laughter. "I will never tell you anything witch. Never." I said in a deep reverberating voice. 

"Oh really? We'll see about that." Then she made the sphere that contained the creature shrink to half it's size. "Isn't that comfy?" Now the creature struggled to break free, but to no avail. "Can't get lose? Ah too bad because I'm going to continue to shrink the sphere until there is nothing left unless you tell me what I want to know." 

True to her word she shrunk the sphere again to half it's size. "No, stop, stop. It was Lord Voltemort who brought me to this place. I don't know who let me in except that it was a student here in the school who did it." 

"Who was it? Tell me!" With that she made the sphere grow smaller again. 

"Aheeeeee. I don't know I tell you. All of you look alike to me I can't tell one from another." The creature wailed. 

"Male or Female?" Demanded LaRaina and she began to make the sphere smaller yet. 

"Female, she was a female." It agonized. 

"Older or younger?" 

"Older or at lest bigger than the others." Ahhhhheeeeeeeeeee............ 

The creature suddenly jerked and snapped several times then it was still. Somehow it had died. 

"Blast it all!" LaRaina shouted as she whirled around looking at everyone suspiciously . "One of you killed it. Who was it?" 

Everyone looked around but no one had seen anyone do anything out of the ordinary. No one was found and no students were in the room, at lest none that could be seen. By the time someone thought to cast the 'Revel Hidden' spell it was too late. Whoever had done it had gotten away. 

  
  
Go to Chapter 6, Needle in the Haystack.  
  


Click here to E-Mail Michael if you have any comments. 

  


  
  
  
  


© 2001 M V Stevens. This site is an independent Harry Potter fan website. It is in no way related to J.K. Rowling, Mary Grand Pre, Scholastic, Bloomsbury or Arthur A. Levine Books or Warner Bros. Films all of whom own rights to the commercial exploitation of Harry Potter. That's their job. From what I've seen of the trailer for the Harry Potter movie, Warner Bros. is doing a great job and I look forward to seeing the movie. I want no monetary gain from my web site and I intend no infringement to anyone's rights. 


	6. Needle in a Haystack

**Tobius, a Hogworts Adventure **  
by M V Stevens  


  
  
This story contains Charactors and places which were  
created by J.K.Rowling and is Fan Fiction.  
  
**Chapter 6, Needle in the Haystack.**   
  
Toby returned the next day and had the pleasure of hearing the story of the capture of the Dowwer told to him a dozen or more times. And each time it was grander and more embellished than the last. Toby was far to polite and far to glad to be back to ever say anything that might lead the story tellers to think he didn't believe their particular version of the story, but he did enjoy some the more creative tellings of the Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle entrapment. He laughed and laughed with each telling thoroughly enjoying the stories. 

Sam told Toby about what the Dowwer had reveled about a girl student being the one who let the Dowwer into the School in the first place, "so we have to be on our guard and keep an eye on the older girls in the School. One of them did it, and then killed the Dowwer to keep anyone from finding out who she is. We must be watchful for any suspicious behavior. That goes for you and your kittens Sheba." 

Sheba looked up from giving Max a bath and meowed assent, then went back to giving the indigent kitten the rest of his bath. 

"So all we can do is go on as usual, and hope that the teachers catch whoever it is before they can do more harm." Sam sighed. 

The next morning was DADA class so they got out their texts and began to study for the class. Sam began to read to them. "The one thing that must be remembered is that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Use of the Dark Arts are no exception. As a witch or wizard begins down the path to the Dark Arts he or she will begin to undergo certain inevitable changes. The first visible indication of the reaction to the Dark energy is evidenced by the skin becoming pale and then almost transparent." 

Sam continued. "During this palloring of the skin the subject also becomes phobic to light. It is a gradual change and the subject is often unaware of the progressive changes. Another evidence of the use of the Dark Arts has been in the area of abnormal behavior." 

Orion interrupted, "Sam what does all that mean, in regular words that is?" 

Sam thought about it for a moment then explained. "I guess it means their skin becomes very pale, and then their eyes become very light sensitive. They prefer dark to light. The last part means they start to become mean and meaner." 

"Ok, I got it now. They get pale skin and can't stand the light very well, and they get meaner and meaner." Orion said mostly to himself. 

Sam continued. "Not to be confused with the Vampires who also are pale skinned and light Phobic, those who follow the path to the Dark Arts begin to manifest a certain type of paranoia. They will surround them selves with followers and yet they trust no one. At times they will be extremely cruel to their own servants, the excuse being that they are testing their loyalty. Quite often the test will involve the death of one or more of their followers as an object lesson to the others. 

During this time the Subject will become intensely concerned about his or her own mortality and will begin to pursue studies into the Necromantic Arts. Eventually this will result in the Subject becoming less and less human and more and more like the living dead that they have been experimenting on. At some point they reach the point where human mortal flesh can no longer sustain them and they pass over the dividing line between mortal and immortal. Unfortunately in every single known case, the Subject becomes insane during this process, and eventually must be destroyed. Failure to destroy these living dead creatures will inevitably results in huge numbers of dead as the insane creature usually know as a Lech, or if powerful enough and long lived enough an Ancient Lech attempts to surround itself with more living dead. Zombies and living or at lest animated Skeletons are the two most common types of living dead." 

At this point they all agreed that they had learned quite enough for that evening. All of them certain that bad dreams would follow if they continued to read any more about the Dark Arts. They divided up and played a few games of exploding snap and then they all went to bed. 

Fortunately they were all so tired that they didn't remember their dreams, whether good or bad, so in the morning they were all happy and ready to go. Breakfast was a happy time for Toby now that he was back with his friends and they all chatted and laughed totally carefree. They were completely unaware of the two pair of eyes that watched them intently from a distance. Two individuals with different motives studied the group and especially Toby. 

In DADA class Professor Longbotton welcomed Toby back warmly and handed him his homework assignments back. They were all graded with high marks and good comments to show that Toby had in fact been keeping up with the class despite his being at home. After going over the chapter assigned for that day She changed the routine the class had normally followed. 

"How many of you know what the spells that protect this school are called?" She asked them. 

Several students raised their hands and she called on a Ravenclaw girl to answer. "They're called Wards mam'am." 

"That's right. Do you know how to cast the Ward spell?" 

"Ah...No mam'am I don't." 

"Anyone? Certainly one of you must know how to cast a Ward spell." She looked at Toby then expectantly. 

Not wanting to be a show off was one thing but with the Professor looking right at him he nodded. "Yes Professor I can cast several kinds of Warding spells." 

"Knowing your Mother, as I do, I'm not in the lest surprised. Come up here Toby and lets put on a demonstration for the class. Sam why don't you and Orion come up here too." She instructed them. 

Sam came up all excited about learning something new. Orion came up on the other hand a little scared, not knowing what to expect. 

"All right Toby first stand up here at the front of the class and between you and Sam and Orion place a Ward about five feet ( a meter and a half ) high, and five feet wide." She told him, as the whole class watch closely. 

Starting at a point to the left he made three quick runes then he traced out the shape of a box in the air the size the teacher had asked for. There was a dim glow in the air around the lines he had traced then nothing. 

All right Sam You and Orion walk towards Toby. They did, but cautiously. Sure enough they bumped into the invisible wall Toby had created between them. 

"What do you feel Orion?" The Professor asked. 

"There's nothing there but the air is hard as stone, and it won't move either." He added pushing against the invisible barrier. 

"Now Toby make a wall on the other three sides of this one to form a box around them." 

Toby did so and in two minutes Sam and Orion were inside an invisible cage. Standing on their tiptoes they could reach the top but it was slippery and they couldn't seem to grab hold of it. Toby had added that little twist on his own. If he had left it plane it would have cut their hands when they touched it along the top, but Toby didn't want to hurt anyone. 

"Excellent Toby I should have remembered to tell you to do that myself. Now class, as you can see Wards can be used in many different ways. They can keep someone in. They can keep someone out. They can be used to contain someone or something. I'm sure you remember the Dowwer that Mrs. Figg caught. That is a good example of how to use Wards correctly to protect someone or something. Never create a Ward in a busy thoroughfare or hall or room and fail to mark it clearly. People can get hurt. One other thing before we move on to lessons on how to create a ward." She move over to the Ward box Toby had created and cast a spell of her own. The Ward box glowed briefly then an arrow of light shot out and encircled Toby making him glow. 

"As you can see it is possible to identify the person who cast the Ward. So no fooling around with this spell is that clear to everyone?" 

They all nodded and said, "Yes Professor." 

"All right we will go over the spell you need to cast and then when you have all learned them we will begin practicing casting them." She told them. "Oh yes Toby maybe we'd better let Sam and Orion out of their cage." 

Toby quickly cast the "Dispel Magic" spell and the Ward walls dissolved away to nothing. 

One of the students raise his hand and asked "Professor what's to stop someone else doing what Toby just did and making our Ward spell just disappear?" 

"Toby's Wards were the simplest kind possible. Once you get on to the casting of Wards, you will be taught how to lock your spells so that only you can undo them. There is an other way to undo a locked Ward, but I will not be teaching you that. Only a very powerful wizard or witch can undo a properly cast Ward. And if the lock is done correctly even they would have a vary hard time undoing it. You will also learn how to set alarms to alert you to anyone's tampering with your spells so don't worry, your spells will be safe enough." 

The class practiced the spells for the remaining time. "I do not want you using these spells yet. You have a lot more to learn and a great deal more practicing to do. When you have learned the spells to my satisfaction you will be using them to protect your dorms each night. With the 'Revel Hidden' spell, the 'Dispel Magic' spell, and the 'Wards' spells, I believe you will be much safer here at school and anywhere else for that matter. While there is no way to counter one of the 'Forbidden Curses' once they are cast, if you can cast a proper Ward spell between you and your assailant you will not die. A proper defense is the best offense. Always be prepared." 

The next day in Hagrids class he had two very dangerous creatures for them to see. Both looked like mountain goats on steroids. One was bright red and the size of a Brahma Bull. It had the curled horns like a mountain goat but it had fangs like a saber tooth tiger. This one was called a Wargoroth. The second was a bright green in color and was as big or bigger than the Wargoroth. It was called the Ugoroth, and not only did it have horns and fangs like the Wargoroth it was deadly poisonous as well. 

"You'll find both of these creatures in the forbidden forest. Both are extremely aggressive and meaner than just about anything I know of. They are just one , Er, two reasons why ya should stay out of the forest. These creatures are found in other parts of the world but mostly in thick forests where other magical creatures can be found. So remember, if your ever chased by one of um go up a good sized tree. They can't clime and as long as the tree is big enough they can't knock it down they'll go away in a day or two and you can clime down and run for home. That is if something else hasn't got you first seen as your stuck up a tree and can't get away." 

They were all staying back from the Cages Hagrid had the creatures in. Both of them had tried repeatedly to brake out of their cages and there were steaming, smoking puddles were the Ugoroth's poison was dripping down onto the ground. 

"Next class I'll be showen ya why it's not safe up in the trees either. I'll be bring a couple of Waverens for ya ta look at. An remember this isn't no petting zoo. Keep ur hands away from the Creatures." Hagrid finished up as his class time was over. 

That night Toby had the strangest dream. He was floating silently above the forbidden forest and below him two figures dressed in black were talking. "Have you done as I ordered?" A very raspy voice spoke from one of the hooded figures. 

"Yes master." A second harsh but almost feminine voice answered. "But they say they will not attack Hagrid. They are afraid of him." 

"I will teach them to be more afraid of me, then they will obey me. If they don't obey I will use fire on them. Go back and tell them that they attack Hagrid and his class of first years on Friday afternoon, or Lord Voltemort will attack them with fire. I will destroy them if they do not obey me. Tell them they may have all the students to do with as they please but they must kill Hagrid. That fool of a half giant has been meddling in my affairs with the Giants, and I want him dead is that clear enough for you?" 

"Yes master. It is clear. I will go as you have ordered. They will not like it, but they are afraid of fire. I have had to use it on them several times myself to keep them from killing me. I go to do your bidding master." The second figure turned and walked away deeper into the forest . 

The first figure stood there watching the other disappear then he looked around, and disapparated away. 

Toby continued to sleep, but in his own mind he decided that no matter how stupid it would sound he was going to tell Hagrid or the Headmaster Dumbledore no matter what in the morning. 

It was a very cold and windy morning outside with the promise of more snow coming, when Toby and the others climbed out of their warm beds, and hurriedly dressed in extra socks and sweaters. Pulling on their robs as well they hurried through their morning routines to meet Sam in the common room and race through the cold halls to the Great Hall for breakfast. Some how the Great Hall was always warm and inviting in the morning. Despite the ceiling that looked exactly like the out doors it was a very cheery room. Toby love having his meals with all the other students. There was a very strong feeling of belonging and being part of a very special group that he always had when he was here with the others. 

Breakfast was almost over when Sam elbowed him and asked. "What's wrong Toby you haven't said three words this morning?" 

The others agreed. "Ya what's wrong Toby. Give is something going to happen like the last time?" Guy asked looking around suspiciously. 

Toby nodded and then told them, "Ya I had a strange dream last night, but I think we're being watched again so I don't want to say any more. I have to talk to Dumbledore or Hagrid." 

The others tried to look cool and nonchalant but only managed to look silly. Sam was watching the Teachers table and whispered, "now's your chance they're starting to get up better go now while you can catch them." 

Toby got up and hurried to the front. Dumbledore saw him coming and stopped to wait for him. "Well Tobius what can I do for you today?" He asked as Toby caught up with him. 

"Sir I need to talk to you, but not right here. I think someone is watching me and it's important." Toby told him earnestly. 

"Very well. Come with me." Dumbledore told him and turned into the teachers lounge. 

As soon as he entered he cast the 'Revel Hidden' Spell and then closed the door. "I think were safe enough here Tobius." 

Toby nodded then told him about his dream and about it being Lord Voltemort who wanted Hagrid dead. "Sir he said Hagrid was meddling in his affairs with the Giants. I didn't really get that part but he did say the spiders were the ones he wanted to have kill Hagrid." 

Dumbledore looked very concerned. "You may not understand Tobius, but I do. As far as the Spiders are concerned Hagrid trusts them. He thinks their leader is his friend. As for the rest I understand that as well. But we wouldn't be going into that right now. I will have a talk with Hagrid and prepare a special greeting for the spiders, should they actually be so rash as to attack Hagrid and the students. You run along to class Tobius, and I will take care of the rest of this." 

Latter in the day word came that Dumbledore had taken ill. That in fact he was in the Hospital wing unconscious. Toby felt a chill run up and down his spine. Some one had poisoned Dumbledore, and now the question was had he talked to Hagrid or not? 

That night Toby went to sleep but he dreamed of spiders chasing him through most of the night. "They're afraid of fire." Kept going through this head. There was a spell that threw fireballs. He remembered it because he had nearly set his home on fire a few years back and his mother had really chewed him out for not asking first. So all right it was up to him, and yes Sam should be able to do it too. 

In the middle of the night he woke up felling very uneasy. He had taken his wand to bed with him and he stuck his head out of the curtains surrounding his bed and cast the 'Reveal Hidden' something was slipping out the door just as his spell caught them and he got a clear view of someone wearing an invisibility cloak. So they were still at it. Who ever 'they' were. Sheba was watching intently as the person disappeared, and looked up at Toby questioningly. "No better not follow them. We don't know who or what they are and there is no sense taking chances. Tomorrow the spiders are going to attack us when were with Hagrid so you and the kittens will have to be very careful. Those spiders are very poisonous so you stay out of their reach. They're afraid of fire so if you do that blue fire thing of yours you should be able to drive the spiders away from you and the kittens. Although maybe you should stay here in the school tomorrow with the kittens. It would be safer for all of you." 

Sheba snorted at the idea of her staying away, and lay back down to go back to sleep. Toby did the same since there was nothing to do tell the afternoon anyway. 

In the morning Toby told the other boys about his plans. "If you three want I'll teach you the 'Fireball' spell. And a word of advice don't eat anything today for breakfast or lunch. Somebody poisoned Dumbledore and if they can get to him they can get to us. So lets be really careful today. They all grumbled at the idea of going without breakfast and lunch, but none of them wanted to get poisoned either. 

Sam agreed with Toby when he told her, so they all headed off to the Great Hall. While they were all sitting at the table watching everyone else eat, Sam unthinkingly reached out and took a piece of toast. Sheba reacted instantly and hissed and batted the toast out of Sam's hand. Hissing another warning she stood up on the table and sniffed at the food laid out there for them. She nodded at the eggs but hissed at the orange juice. The milk and the cereal were OK but not the sausages. The bacon was all right but not the pancakes. On down the line she went OKing some food and not others. They all fell too then eating hungrily what Sheba OKed but pushed away anything she hissed at. That way at lest they didn't leave the table hungry and scared. Just scared.

At lunch it was worse yet. Sheba hissed at nearly everything, but some soup and crackers. Just as they started to eat the soup Sheba suddenly leaped up and across the table and attacked something invisible. She bit then clawed away at something, then a blue vile dropped onto the table and bright red blood splattered down. There was a terrible scream and a curse, then whoever it was ran away crying and leaving a trail of blood for several steps towards the door. 

Professor Snape rushed up and carefully picked up the blue vile and looked in it, then holding it carefully he smelled the opening. "Ah a mixture of Belladonna and Nightshade. At lest we know what the poison is. I'll just take this and make up the antidote for Dumbledore. It is well you have such a intelligent cat Toby, this mixture is very uncommon and I might have had to work for a week or more to come up with the antidote. Oh and Toby." He fixed Toby with a stair, "Mums the word, understand?" 

Toby was beginning to think there was a bit more going on here than what met the eye so he nodded. "Yes sir my lips are sealed." 

After lunch Hagred met them at the door to take them to class. He looked sick and walked slowly as he lead them out side. His shoulder slumped and his arms hanging limp at his sides. Sam looked at Toby and nodded whispering, "He must have got some of that poison to. What are we going to do?" 

Toby wasn't sure what they should do, but he told her in a whisper, "Let's just wait and see. I have a feeling that everything is under control." 

Hagrid took them to the front of his house and told them to wait while he went around back to get something. Just as he started around his house Sheba hissed a warning and out of the forest came poring hordes of huge black and green spiders. There had to be a hundred or more of the horse size spiders. They carried no weapons but they had huge sharp fangs and a bunch of hairy small arms to grab their victims and suck the blood out of them. 

Toby and Sam raised their wands and cast the 'Fireball' spell. Two basket ball sized globs of fire shot straight out and hit two spider setting them ablaze. Again they fired off balls of fire and again spiders burst into flame. Just as they were firing their third round of fire at the spiders, Hagrid came back from behind his house. Only he wasn't alone. Dozens of Centaurs came charging out into the open each one with a bow, already shooting arrows. 

Sam and Toby could have never held off the spiders by themselves, but with the Centaurs shooting arrows so fast they blurred the vision, the out come of the battle was never in doubt. Toby added a touch of his own to the Centaurs arrows. He knew a spell that turned regular arrows into fire arrows. As they were shot at a spider each arrow burst into flame and set the spider it hit on fire. The smell of burning spiders soon filled the air. It took the spiders a while to realize that they were defeated but soon they were running back into the forest. 

The Centaurs followed the spiders into the forest continuing to shoot at them harrying them on their way back to were the belonged. Hagrid had crushed several of the spiders with a huge wicked looking club that he usually kept in his house but he had brought it out and stashed it near the front door behind a rain barrel. He looked around but the Centaurs were gone and only the students were left in front of his house. "Well it looks like no one was injured sept a few dozen spiders and they only go what they deserved for listening to that no good Voltemort. Everyone OK?" 

"No!" Sam said sharply as she returned carrying the limp body of one of the kittens. "Someone did get hurt, it's Shoofly, Hagrid is she dead?" 

"Oh no!" Hagrid said as he took the small cat into his huge hands. Tears started rolling down his cheeks as he gently prodded the kitten to see if there were any life in it. "She dead Sam. I'm so sorry Sheba, Toby. One of the spider must have bit her during the fight and we didn't see in time to give her the antidote. There's poison all over her so don't nobody touch her and Sam you go in my house and wash your hands real good. That poison can get you just being on your hands. We'll have to bury her so no varmints get her and so nothing gets the poison on them." 

Hagrid laid the kitten down beside Sheba and the other kittens gathered around to look at their lost sister. One of the kittens reached out to prod the dead kitten perhaps to see if she would wake up, but Sheba hissed a warning and all the kittens backed away from her anger. 

Hagrid returned with Sam and a small wooden box. He took a pillow case and carefully wrapped the kitten in it then put it into the box. He wrapped the box tightly shut with two leather straps then got a shove that was leaning against his house and took them all back behind the house near his garden. Toby, Tie, Orion and Guy took turns digging a deep grave then Hagrid placed the small box into the hole and helped them cover it over. 

Hagrid then took some flowers from his garden and placed them on the grave. "She was a brave kitten. She gave her life helping to fight the spider. Bless her amen." Hagrid said a simple little ullage then turned to the students. "Were all going back inside. All of you go back to your common rooms. Sam and I must go up to the Hospital wing and see about getting the antidote." 

Just as he finished Sam fell forward in a dead faint. Hagrid caught her and picked her up and rushed them all back to the Castle. As they got inside Hagrid told them. "All of you all go. Toby make sure all the Hofflepuffs get to your common room. Jarvis you make sure the Ravenclaws all get to your common room." Then Hagrid rushed off to the Hospital wing, and they turned to their common rooms. 

The rest of the afternoon they sat around and waited to hear if Sam was all right. But no word came. By dinner time Toby and the others were very worried about Sam and how she was doing. They hurried to the Great Hall, but as they entered Professor McGonagall met them at the door and told Toby and the others, "Samantha is going to be all right. Hagrid got her, and himself by the way, to the Infirmary in time for the antidote to work for them both. Sam will have to stay overnight however, so don't look for her to be with you this evening. 

I've been to see her, and I might add that she was far more upset about the kitten's death than any effect the poison might have had on her. Hagrid is just too big and strong to be kept down by a little spider poison, at lest that's what he said, so he's gone back out to his cabin to rest and sleep off the effects of the poison." 

With that good news they all got their appetites back and fell to with gusto. No one was worried about the food being poison, although Sheba checked the food anyway and gave her approval, So they dug in and made pigs of themselves. 

Dumbledore was back at his accustom place at the head table. After the meal Professor McGonagall tapped her glass making a clear bell like sound for everyone's attention. "Most of you have already heard, the grape vine here in this school being what it is, but I shall elaborate and in case of the inevitable exaggeration, set the story straight. 

This afternoon a horde of spiders for reasons unknown attacked Hagrid and his class. Fortunately for us all a group of Centaurs happened to be nearby and they helped Hagrid to beat back the attack of the spiders. We owe a great deal to the Centaurs for coming to Hagrid's aid, it is most unusual for them to involve themselves in affairs outside of their own. There was unfortunately one casualty. One of Sheba's kittens was bitten by a spider and died from the poison. Which kitten was it Tobius?" 

"It was Shoofly sir." Toby told him as loud as he could so everyone could hear. There were a lot of, "Oh mys," and "The poor dear." as everyone expressed their sympathy for the death of the kitten. 

"We express our condolences to you and Sheba. Samantha and Hagrid also came in contact with the spiders poison but are both doing just fine. Sam will be back with her fellow students tomorrow morning, so contrary to any roomers both will be just fine. Since we don't know a whole lot about the reason for the attack I must reiterate the caution about going outside the school. Be on your guard and report to one of the teachers any unusual happening. You are now dismissed to return to your common rooms." 

When they got back to the common room Tie made the comment, "I bet Sam would be mad at us if we didn't study our lessons tonight for our classes tomorrow. We can take turns reading I guess." 

Orion nodded grudgingly and added his own comment. "We can take turns, but it won't be the same without Sam." 

It wasn't the same, but they did manage to get through their homework and read the chapters for the next day. 

The next day at breakfast Sam showed up just as they were starting to eat and everyone had to ask her how she felt and if she was all right. Sam said she was but she looked pale and tired. Obviously she hadn't slept well the night before, but it was good to be back with her friends she told them and she even managed to eat a little. 

The weekend saw them all settle down and get back into their usual habits. On the weekends they were allowed to go outside but it wasn't half the fun. There was always a teacher with them and a snow ball fight just wasn't the same with Professor Snape standing there watching you or Professor McGonagall. Still they did manage to have fun in the snow, building forts and attacking each other in mock battle. 

Several weeks latter they were in Professor Snape's Potions class beginning to concoct a cure all for colds. They were using Sam's cauldron and Toby had just diced their snake livers and was adding them into the cauldron when Sam noticed a brown syrupy substance oozing out of the inside walls of her cauldron. "Should it be doing that Toby?" She asked curiously. 

Toby sniffed at the inside of the cauldron and drew back quickly. It smelled of Ammonia and sulfur. "Professor Snape." He called out alarmed. "Sam's cauldron is doing something it shouldn't and I think it's something bad. Maybe really bad." 

Snape had been working with Orion, who was slow at potions at best, and clearly not in a good mood came over and looked. His eyebrows shot up and he grabbed one of Toby's dragon hide gloves and snatched the cauldrons handle and picked it up and carried it as quick as he could to his store room. Quickly he set it on the floor and backed out of the room closing the door as fast as he could. He cast several complex Ward spell then shouted at everyone, "all of you get down on the floor and under your tables. Quickly now under the tables." 

Booooom Boooom Booooooooom! 

They were all thrown to the floor by the force of tremendous series of explosions. Most of the cauldrons were overturned and dust and debris rained down on them as they scrambled to find cover. Professor Snape was blown backwards right into Sam and Toby's work place and fell limply to the floor. Sam and Toby quickly pulled him under the table with them but he was totally unconscious. He had a large gash running across his temple and down one cheek, and he was bleeding heavily. Sam quickly cast the closing rune to stop the bleeding, but Snape was still unconscious. 

As soon as the dust quit falling and the room stopped shaking Toby and Sam crawled out from under their table and called out. Is anyone else hurt. Does anyone need help. Jarvis stood up shakily and told them, "over here. Maggie is hurt. She's got a big red swelling on the side of her head and she unconscious." 

Sam ran over to take a look, but there was nothing she could do. "Someone should come to help us soon. I don't think we should move her without an adult here to supervise. Toby maybe you could go see if anyone is coming?" 

Toby ran over to the door to the hallway pulled it open, took one look, and turned to Sam and the rest of the class. "I don't think anyone will be coming real soon." 

"What's wrong?" Sam asked hurrying over. "Oh my..." She cried as she saw what Toby was talking about. 

Outside the room the hall way was filled with stones and debris. By putting up the wards to protect the class Snape had forced the explosion to blow outwards into the hall and bring down much of the ceiling as well. If anyone was going to get to them they would have to remove several tons of stone and debris. 

They closed the door and told everyone, "Sit down and make yourselves comfortable, because we're going to be here for a while." 

Toby looked around for Sheba. "Darn, the one time Sheba doesn't come to class with us we have to be trapped in here. She could have opened a portal and got us out of here." 

They sat around and talked for a while since it helped pass the time. A couple of the students started to get scared as time passed and still no one showed up to rescue them. Just as everyone started thinking that they had really been forgotten a glimmering circle appeared in the front of the room and Sheba jumped through. Right behind her came Hagrid and then Dumbledore. "Would have been here sooner, but no one thought to look out behind my house for Sheba. And it took us a bit to find her." Hagrid explained. 

"Professor Snape and Maggie are hurt bad Sir, and should go to the Infirmary right away." Sam told them. 

Dumbledore had knelt down beside Snape and nodded. "Sheba if you would be so kind as to redirect your portal to the Infirmary, we need to get these two there immediately." 

Sheba nodded and looked at her portal and it blinked then she nodded again. Madam Pomfrey must have been watching because she stuck her head through the Portal and then climbed through. She made a quick examination of both of the unconscious victims and told Hagrid. "They're both seriously hurt, so please be careful when you bring them through I'll go back and get beds ready. At lest it's not some poison this time." 

Hagrid picked up Professor Snape first and effortlessly carried him through, then he came back and got Maggie. As soon as they were through Dumbledore turned to Toby and asked him in a tired voice, "what happened this time Toby? I take it this wasn't an accident?" 

"No sir it wasn't. Some one coated the inside of Sam Cauldron with an explosive. Professor Snape just managed to get it into his store room and seal the door with wards when it blew up. He saved all our lives Sir." 

Hagrid had been looking around and turned to Dumbledore, "We're goen to need the Dwarves again. I suppose I better go get um." 

"Thank you Hagrid I expect you had. Although I wouldn't be too surprised if they're not waiting at the gate already like the last time. They take their responsibilities very seriously. Sheba if you would redirect the portal again to the entryway in front of the Great Hall. I Think we should all leave here now and Supper is already being served. However I want all of you to go clean up first you are far too dirty and dusty to eat as you are." 

They all hurried to their common rooms and showered and put on clean clothing. When they got to the Great Hall no one was eating yet. Dumbledore had ask them all to wait tell the victims of the explosion arrive to eat too. "We are a school and a community. It is not right that victims of a terrible explosion should have to eat all by them selves after undergoing such a harrowing experience. It behooves us all to wait for them out of respect." 

The next morning Dumbledore had a harrowing experience. Several members of the School's Board of Directors arrived as well as a large number of parents of the Students. There were several "Explosive" moments, but when the question came up as to whether it would be better to close the School, Dumbledore asked two questions. "How many of the members of our community have died at the hands of Voltemort and his Deatheaters?" 

No one knew the exact number, but it was quit a few that had been killed. 

"Secondly, how many students have died here at Hogwarts?" 

The board members and the parents looked at each other and shrugged. One finally answered. "I guess the answer is none." 

"That's right the answer is none. It is my opinion that the safe guards set in place in this School make these children far safer here than anywhere else they could be. Buy closing the School you would be playing right into Voltemorts hands. Until proven other wise I believe the safest place for the children is still right here. We are fairly sure it is a student who is causing the latest trouble and finding her is like looking for a needle in a haystack, but I am sure we will find her." 

  
  
Go to Chapter 7, Arcanum  
  


Click here to E-Mail Michael if you have any comments. 

  


  
  
  
  


© 2001 M V Stevens. This site is an independent Harry Potter fan website. It is in no way related to J.K. Rowling, Mary Grand Pre, Scholastic, Bloomsbury or Arthur A. Levine Books or Warner Bros. Films all of whom own rights to the commercial exploitation of Harry Potter. That's their job. From what I've seen of the trailer for the Harry Potter movie, Warner Bros. is doing a great job and I look forward to seeing the movie. I want no monetary gain from my web site and I intend no infringement to anyone's rights. 


	7. Arcanum

**Tobius, a Hogworts Adventure **  
by M V Stevens  


  
  
This story contains Charactors and places which were  
created by J.K.Rowling and is Fan Fiction.  
  
**Chapter 7, Arcanum.**   
  
Again things settled down to the normal routine. Toby and his friends were kept busy with their class work and everyone had so much homework that they hardly had time to think about anything else. That seemed to be the Schools solution to the problems, make the students work even harder. Idle hands and all that sort of thing. 

Sam and the boys started spending more and more time in the library. They had reports to write for history. They had essays to write for Defense Against the Dark Arts. There were essays to write for potions, why did certain hurbs work so well with others, and why did others not work at all. Sam was a great researcher, and she could find just about anything once it was given to them to find. 

Orion was the slowest of them, but that is not to say he was stupid, not at all. He was just slower at learning, but once he had it in his head he kept it. So they geared their studies to his pace and as a results they all improved. It just became a given that if Orion had learned it they all had. 

One rainy Saturday morning they managed to talk Jay into escorting them to the Library so they could get a start on history essay. It was supposed to be two parchments long and had to do with the provisions of the Magical Creatures Treaty of 1542. They really weren't all that keen on doing the essay but with the rain and the wind there was no way they were going to get to go out side and play. Jay took them to the library and then left them. Sam set them all to looking for books about that period in time and also about the treaty. 

Now the library at Hogwarts was no ordinary library. How could it be with all the magic that was contained in all those books. One of the cardinal rules in the library was that if you opened a book and it began to talk to you or do something, anything at all, you were to immediately close it and give it to the librarian. Over the years books would sometimes change. They'd go weird. Magic is very funny about things like that. A book could take on a life of it's own. Usually when that happened the librarian would move the book over into the restricted section and flag it. Sooner or later someone would take the book find out what went wrong or weird with it and try to fix it. Some books became dangerous and had to be locked up. Those books could only be viewed by the highest levels of Witches and Wizards. 

Toby worked his way down the isle Sam had picked out for him and finally way at the back and way up high he spotted a book that Said in big red letters' Treaty of Arcanum, 1542.' Well that was the right date and it was about a treaty so it must be the right book. It was way up high so Toby went and got the moveable ladder for that isle and climbed up to the book. He looked down and noticed as he grabbed the book that the floor below him blurred just a bit then everything cleared up and went back to normal. "Must be the ladder moving." he decided. 

When he got back to their table he was the only one to have found a book from that date. As soon as everyone was back, and had gathered around, including Sheba she was laying right beside the book, Sam opened it up and read the first page. "The Treaty of Arcanum, 1542. The Closing of the final Portal between here and there." 

They all looked at each other. "What does that mean?" Orion asked as he read the page for himself. 

Sam shrugged and turned the page. "Be it here-by declared that the final link between our beloved England and the land of Arcanum is forever and a day severed. Heretofore we have allowed some serious students and researchers to visit Arcanum for the purpose of advanced studies. Foreasmuch as the conditions in Arcanum have deteriorated to so poor a state we have reached an agreement with the advanced College of Magic at Tulla and it's masters to close the only remaining portal. The masters at Tulla have agreed to guard the portal and prevent it's ever being opened again." 

"Wow!" Exclaimed Guy excitedly. "No one ever told us anything about such a place before. Does that mean there's a school of magic at this Tulla place just like Hogwarts?" 

"It's called a College, Guy, that must mean it's an advanced school of magic." Sam replied going over the text again. 

"We have no Colleges of advanced study here. I know because I asked. I wonder why they closed the portal? Wouldn't it be great to be able to go to a College after we Finnish here at Hogwarts?" Tie asked just as excited as Guy was. 

Sam agreed. "Yes it would. I for one would love to go to that Collage for advanced studies." 

There were a chorus of "me too's." Then Toby put his hand on the book to turn the page and at the same time he said "I wish we could all go to that place called Arcanum." (writers note... Come on don't pretend you don't know what's going to happen next hehehe ). 

That of course was the wrong thing to do, or right thing depending on how you look at it. The room around them began to slowly grow dim. At the same time it also began to spin slowly. It grew darker and darker. Then it began to grow lighter. There was a roaring sound in their ears and suddenly they were standing in a long oval shaped room with a low ceiling and windows all around. They all looked at each other. "What happened?" Sam asked as several people entered the room talking to each other. 

Toby shrugged and answered. "I think that book somehow heard us and now were in Arcanum." 

"Ya and not only that." Said Orion from one of the windows, "I'd guess were mile up in the air too, and there's this huge engine outside with a great huge propeller spinning on it." 

They all rushed over to the windows and looked out. No doubt about it, they were high up in the air and the loud noise they were hearing came form the engine outside. Toby looked up and down the length of the craft they were in and told them. "I think this is some kind of blimp." 

A woman standing near them also looking out the window corrected him. "Not a blimp, it's called a Dirigible." 

"This is neat." Tie told them excitedly. "I've read all about these airships but I never dreamed I'd ever actually be on one. this is so cool." 

The dark haired woman standing beside them looking out turned and gave Tie a very serious look. "This is the first Dirigible ever built. How is it you claim to have read all about airships?" 

Tie looked a little confused but answered truthfully. "We're not from around here. Where we come from they made airships like this one eighty or ninety years ago but they don't make them anymore. I think it's because they're too dangerous." 

"To dangerous? What could possible hurt an airship, as you call it, of this size up so high in the sky?" She demanded to know almost arrogantly. 

Sam had been watching something out one of the windows. Now she turned and told the lady, "I think one of those things headed for us could very easily hurt this airship." She pointed to two airplanes climbing slowly upwards towards them. "If those two airplanes have machine guns on them they could very easily shoot us down." 

The woman looked where Sam was pointing and seemed upset. "What in the world are those things, aireoplanes did you call them? If they have what? They can shoot this airship down?" 

"We call them machine guns, but I guess repeating guns would do as well. This airship is made of a magnesium frame with huge bags of hydrogen gas to give it lift. Both hydrogen and magnesium are very highly flammable. One bullet striking a spark and peercing the gas bags could send this airship tumbling down from the sky in flames. Lets hope those aireoplanes as you called them are friendly." 

The first plane proved Sam to be wrong in her hope. The "rat it tat tat " of machine gun fire dispelled all doubt of the intentions of the pilots of the planes. The first plane missed and turned clumsily away to make another pass. The second plane missed as well with his gun fire, but he was such a clumsy pilot he turned into the airship instead of away and crashed head long right into the middle. There was a bone jarring crunch, and the Airship began to lay over onto it's side. 

There was a terrible explosion which blew all the windows out of the room they were in, and then as the airship healed over they all fell straight out of the windows, and began to tumble downward from a mile in the air. Toby some how kept his wits and pulled out his wand and cast the first spell that came to mind. "Wingardium Leviosa" he repeated and pointed to all of them as they fell. Some how he even managed to include the woman who had been talking to them as she tumbled by. 

All of them leveled out and began to float slowly down ward. Sam and the boys didn't seem too surprised to be floating downward but the woman was in a near panic until she finally realized she wasn't going to end up dead when they reached the ground. Meanwhile the second plane was turning back to attack the airship again, but the pilot saw the six of them floating downward slowly, and starred at them so long he crashed into the already burning airship, and he and the airship went plummeting downward toward the ground so far below. 

When they finally reached the ground the airship had pretty well burned itself out and there was nothing left but the huge engines with their twisted and bent propellers still attached and a huge long burned and twisted framework laying in pieces all over the place. The heat had been intense for several minutes as they had come downward, but the hydrogen had burned up very quickly. The really bad part of all of this were the bodies of the passengers and crew scattered all over the place in and around the wreckage. 

The lady whose life had been spared along with theirs seemed dazed at first. She simply stood there starring at the wreckage. Toby, Sam, and the others began going through the wreckage seeing if there were any more survivors. After an hour of searching they found not one survivor. They returned to the woman only to find her going through the belongings of every single dead person. 

Sam was angry to see her doing this to the dead, and she told her, "you shouldn't be doing that to the dead. It's not right. It's dishonest." 

The lady stopped and looked closely at each of them then told them all. "These people are dead. They have no needs. By tomorrow the wolves and other wild creatures will have ravaged their bodies anyway. But we're alive, and we do have needs. I know from the maps my father used to show me that we are high up in the Stonewall mountains. Do you know what that means?" 

They all shook their heads. 

"Well it means that it's going to be cold tonight, very cold, maybe freezing. Now I've already found several boxes of matches. A pile of good warm cloaks and coats. Several pairs of good sturdy boots, and an assortment of knives and weapons. We need food and some kind of shelter for tonight and every other night until we find a town. I don't know about you but I don't have any money on me so we have no choice, but to search through the wreckage and hope to find some money too. I also hope we can find some food. I don't fancy starving to death. So why don't you lot get to work, and hut through every speck of this wreck with me, and pull out anything at all that might be worth something when we find a town to barter with for food and equipment. And by the way my name is Sarabi we might as well get to know each other since were going to be spending a lot time together." 

They all introduced themselves and then under Sarabi's direction they began to hunt through the wreckage for anything not too damaged to be put to use. It was hard and dirty work what with all the hot twisted metal and the ash from the fire. By nightfall they had accumulated a large pile of useable clothing, tools, weapons, and a lot of personal effects that might be worth something in trade for what ever they might need. They had also found several hundred gold coins similar to the ones they used back home. 

They were in luck one way. They found a large chest that had survived the crash, and inside it was packed full of camping equipment. "I heard one of the passengers saying something about an expedition. This must be their equipment. Lets see what they packed." 

There were three tents, eight sleeping bags, all kinds of cooking gear, and a shovel, and two axes. "It looks like we just may have a chance of making it back to civilization after all. That is if the wild animals and the imps don't get us." Sarabi commented as she surveyed the piles of articles they had scavenged. "Yes I do believe we can make it with this lot." 

They had several canteens of water and there was a stream nearby to refill them. "Ok now that we have all this stuff we have to figure out how were going to carry it all. We can't carry that big chest around with us so we have to divide it all up between us and then figure out which way to go from here. You kids saved my life so I owe you. Most people around here would just go off and leave you here, but I was raise to believe in honor and paying your debts. So I'm going to see to it you get home then I'll continue on my own path. Now what we need to find out is how much can each of you carry. We have all these back packs so let give it a try and see how we come out." As it turned out they could carry a lot more than anyone thought they could. By sorting through everything and picking things for each of them it turned into a self eliminating process. Warm durable clothing first, then the camping equipment, then the little bit of food that they had managed to find. Each of them had to carry a weapon Sarabi insisted on it. You don't understand how dangerous this country is. There are wolves by the hundreds, bears uncountable, and worse of all there are the Imps, or Kites as some call them." 

"Kites?" asked Orion who was playing with the shot sword he had picked out for himself. 

"Yes, Kites. They're a short creature no taller than your waste. They sort of look human but they're not. Not in the lest. They are vicious fighters and will attack without provocation. You can't talk to them or reason with them, they won't listen they're too busy trying to kill you. Now since you seem to know some magic do any of you know any fighting spells?" She asked them her eyes always darting around to watch their surroundings. 

Toby thought for a minute. "We can do a lot of spells, we can put wards around out camp at night that will keep out wild animals. Sam and I can do the fire ball spelland It's pretty awful. I don't know what else we might need, but we know a lot of spells and potions too." "That's better yet. Ok let move away from this wreck. The bodes are going to attract wolves and such, and I don't want to fight my way out of here." She finished picking up her pack, which was easily twice the size of theirs, and leading them down the hillside towards a small creek that flowed off into the forest. 

As they trekked along the creek Toby became aware of just how alive the forest was with life. He had played in the forest near his home when he was little but this forest was very much different. The trees were alive with birds of all sorts and squirrels by the dozens. On the ground he saw rabbits and other small creatures skittering here and there in their daily pursuits. 

The rabbits caught Sarabi's attention quite quickly. She drew her bow and let fly with a arrow at one. She hit it clean and went over saved the arrow, and tied the dead rabbit to her belt. As they marched along she collected five more large rabbits. "These are our dinner tonight. One thing if you ever see a blue rabbit... leave it alone and move away quickly." 

"There's no such thing as a blue rabbit." Orion said doubtingly. 

Sarabi laughed at Orion. "I wish there wasn't, but there is. So just take my word for it Orion and don't stick around to ask it if it's real. It can kill you quite quickly." 

Another thing soon became apparent. The wolves were following them. Sarabi listened several times to them and commented, "There aren't enough of them to attack us just yet, but they will soon. Toby and Sam get ready with those fire ball spells or yours." 

They could hear the wolves moving along with them not far away. It was making Toby very nervous. He had no doubt about his spells, after fighting the spiders he knew he could do his part, but the waiting was getting very tiring. 

Toby didn't have to wait much longer. Three wolves came arrowing in from in front of them, and five more came in at them from behind. Without thinking or planing Toby cast a fireball right at two of the wolves as they came right at him. With a sharp 'Crack' the two wolves burst into intence flame and vaporized. There was another 'Crack' from the other side as Sam did the same thing, taking out two more of the wolves. 

Sarabi had her sword out and in a flash she had dispatched one of the two wolves coming at her. Guy swung at the other wolf but he missed completley. Tei on the other hand managed to conect with the same wolf with his dagger, but the wolf was turning to bite him when Guy finnaly did manage to canect with his sword. The wolve died as they both pulled their weopns from the body of the wolf. 

Toby cast his spell again as did Sam and two more wolves died. Sarabi dispatched the remaining wolf quickly and turned to see if anyone needed any help. They didn't all the wolves were dead. 

She looked from one to the other of them. "This wasn't the first fight you've been in is it?" 

"No ma'am it isn't. At school the giant spiders attacked us, and we had to fight them off. Of course we had Hagrid and the Centaurs to help us then." Sam answered her. 

"Hagrid? Centaurs?" 

"He's our teacher in the care of Magical Creatures. He's a half Giant. The Centaurs are half horse and half human. The front is the human part." Sam explained. 

Sarabi looked bewildered. "Half Giant? What is a Giant, and for that matter what's a horse?" 

It was Sam's turn to look bewildered. "You don't have Giants here? Really big humans about twice the height of a tall man?" 

Sarabi shook her head. 

"Horses are, well there big enough for even a big man to ride on and they look like deer, only they don't have any antlers." 

"I see." Sarabi said softly but it was clear she didn't. "Our worlds are very different that much is clear." 

They continued along the canyon following the stream. Soon however it started to grow dark. It also was beginning to get cold. "Fill your water bottles and canteens, and then we're going to move back away from the stream to find a suitable camping spot for the night." 

They quickly complied and then set off away from the stream back into the forest. Just a short distance back the found a nice clearing were they could set up their tents and after gathering some rocks they started a fire. As soon as Toby and the others found enough wood for the fire Sam touched it with her wand and the wood burst into flame. Sarabi had been about to light a match, but she put the match up and commented. "I won't be need them with you lot around. Now do any of you know how to cook?" 

None of them knew anything about campfire cooking so Sarabi began to teach them the basics. "First we skin and cut up our rabbits. Then we'll make up a mix to bread the pieces of meat and we'll make some biscuits, and last we'll make some gravy for our biscuits." 

Sarabi was amazingly patient with them as they had to learn a whole new way of life. "You don't skin the rabbit right away because the smell of blood will draw predators to us. Any meat we have left over tonight we will wrap up and save for tomorrow noon. I'll show you tomorrow how to find vegetables so we can make a nice stew. For tonight we will have plain water to drink but tomorrow we will find herbs to make a good tea from. We need to keep our strength up and eating and drinking the right things will become very important to us, in fact while we are on the move finding enough food will be one of our primary concerns. " 

Super while a far cry from Hogwarts standards was at lest filling and tasted good. Rabbit proved to be very flavorful and satisfying. The gravy and biscuits helped to fill them up so they wouldn't starve all night long. 

They set up the tents and got out sleeping bags the bags had to be aired out because they all smelled of smoke. But once all that was done Toby and Sam worked their way around the Camp and set up wards. They had to set them high enough to keep wolves and such from jumping over them, and this time they didn't role the top edges over. If anything tried to clime over the wards they were in for a very painful experience at the top. the edge of the ward was razor sharp since it had no thickness at all. Anything grasping the top or trying to clime over the top would be cut in half or at lest lose all of it's fingers. 

Sarabi had never seen anything like the wards but after she tried her best to kick, hack and slash the wards and accomplished nothing at all she decided that they would be safe enough. With no tree limbs anywhere near them nothing could jump into the camp and since the wards would instantly fill any hole dug beneath them nothing could tunnel under them. As a last precaution Toby set the wards to ring like a bell if anything tried to force it's way through them. 

Sarabi and Sam slept in one tent and all the boys slept in the other. Just before they crawled into their sleeping bags, Sam cast a spell she had read of, over the fire place. A large blue ball appeared and began to radiate a comfortable heat which kept the tents warm all night long. 

Sleep that night was spotty. Not because they were cold or uncomfortable, but because wolves and other things keep trying to get through the wards all night long. Several intense battles broke out between the different species of creatures outside of the wards. By morning the clearing was full of wolves all eager to get at the humans just beyond their reach. Sarabi was just as surprised as the kids were at how many wolves there were waiting to eat them. 

"I've never seen anything like this. There are at lest a hundred or more wolves out there. Now how are we going to get out of here with that many of them waiting for us?" 

Orion came up with an idea. "If you could shoot your fireballs up in the air so they fall down just outside the wards maybe it would scare them away." 

"Wolves don't scare all that easy, but go ahead and try. The worst you can do is kill off a few dozen." Sarabi told them as she and Sam started their breakfast. 

Toby started casting the fireball spell and aiming it upwards at different angles until he found the right angles to land the fireballs anywhere amongst the wolves he wanted. By the time breakfast was ready there were no wolves left anywhere in sight. Toby had blasted them all to ashes. 

They packed up their gear and set off shortly after eating. Sarabi kept a keen look out for any signs of trouble, but she was also looking for edible plants and herbs. She found plenty and soon had them all looking as they marched along. By lunch time they had almost more than they could carry. Again they set up the wards after gathering wood for the fire and water to cook with and drink. Sarabi taught them how to make a very good tea, and had them clean and dice the vegetables for their rabbit stew. 

As they were eating Sarabi told them. "Since I'm teaching you lot how to survive in this world I'd like it if you started to teach me some of that magic your doing so casually." 

"Normally you have to have a wand to do our type of magic, but I think the rules here are just a little bit different. Toby knows Rune magic, and it doesn't seem to need a wand. So tonight we should be able to teach you some magic." Sam told her confidently. 

They resumed their trek and continued down out of the mountains. The stream they followed grew larger as other small streams joined it and soon it became a small river. Sarabi began to collect rabbits again which was an easy task because there were so many of them. They also collected herbs and vegetables for supper. Orion spotted a plant he recognized. "I think those plants over there are potatoes, can I go get them and see?" 

Sarabi nodded and waited as he ran over and dug out several large potatoes. Just as he was returning several short almost human looking creatures came running out of the brush small swords raised to attack Orion. Sarabi had been watching for just such an attack. She fitted an arrow and drew her bow in one smooth motion and one of the kites toppled to the ground. Sam and Toby also let fly with fireballs which incinerated the remaining kits. 

Orion ran back to them looking a little pail but he had his potatoes, nice big ones. "You eat them?" Sarabi asked skeptically. 

"Oh yes they're good eating." Orion reassured her as he stuffed them into a bag he carried over his shoulders. 

They continued on then and Orion found several more potatoes so there would be plenty for all. They also had to fend off kites and wolves again during their march down the canyon out of the mountains. 

Sarabi found out just how good fried potatoes and baked potatoes were and they all eat like pigs. Traveling by foot the way they were burned up a lot of calories, and they had to put all that back in the form of food. With the wards up and a nice campfire to sit by Sam began to tell Sarabi about their school and all about there world. Sarabi wasn't sure she believed everything Sam told her but she enjoyed the story anyway. "Your world is very much different than ours. Here we do have machines, but most of the work is still done by hand. As far as I know only in Trent the largest City that I know of do they have the kinds of machinery that you talk of, although I've never heard of talking pictures or vehicles you could get in and drive anywhere you wanted to go. You saw our first blimp as you call it and two very strange aireoplanes, but that's about it for flying machinery." 

"Your just getting started is all." Tei assured her. 

"Not actually." She said thoughtfully. "Five hundred years ago it seems we had much more in the way of machinery, but there was a big war between the elves and the humans. The elves tried to put an end to technology and the humans fought back. That war set everyone back to a almost primitive state for two or three hundred years. It's only been recently that the old technology has been rediscovered and is coming back. But like before there are a lot of people who don't think we should be rediscovering the old technology, mainly the elves again, and of course the humans are even more determined to defend their right to develop as they see fit. It may well lead to another war. I hope not becuse there really aren't that many elves or humans left anymore." 

They started Sarabi learning magic that night too, and she proved very quick to catch on. She pointed at a twig using Sam's wand and said. "Wingardium Leviosa!" and up the twig rose into the air. "Wow that wasn't hard!" She exclaimed starring at the twig floating in the air. "I really thought it would be harder than that. Is it the wand or the words or both or what? How does it work." 

None of them actually knew so she handed back Sam's wand and just used her finger, "Wingardium Leviosa" and again the twig rose up into the air. "I wondered about that." She told them. "The mages I've seen just wave their arms and say fancy words, and their magic always seems to work. I guess it's more a matter of the words than anything else." 

They didn't know one way or the other here in this strange land so they simply agreed. They were all very tired so it was soon off to bed for them all. The wards were attacked all night long, but for the most part they slept through the noise, they were very tired. 

Morning brought another exercise in fireball artillery practice with Toby showing Sarabi how to cast the spell and giving her the pleasure of toasting about a hundred more wolves. Once the wolves were taken care of they set out along the stream now a river, always moving down stream. "If my memory serves me right there will be a town somewhere further down this river. I believe the name of it is Shrouded Hills, but that's all I can remember of it." 

As they traveled they again collected food and herbs. Again they were attacked by the Kites, but it was not a major problem. The Kites seemed almost mindless in their determination to kill the humans. It did them no good, but that didn't stop them. Occasionally a bear would attack them too, but a fireball took care of the bears as well as it did the wolves or Kites. 

Tie had been thinking about the animals and why they kept attacking them. "Why do they attack us like this?" he asked just after they had killed their third bear. 

"Don't the wild animals attack you where you come from?" Sarabi asked instead of answering. 

"No for the most part wild animals avoid humans. If given a choice they will run away there are very few creatures that will just attack for no reason at all." Tie informed her. 

They walked on for almost an hour before Sarabi answered. "I have often wondered about that myself Tie. I have to admit I don't know why they hate us so much. I'm sure most folk would just as soon live and let live, but not the animals. They hate us and I really don't know the reason why." 

It was late in the afternoon when the caught sight of the small town of Shrouded Hills. "We'll wait up here on this rise until tomorrow. Then I will go into town, and see what kind of people live here." 

"What do you mean by that Sarabi?" Sam asked. "What kind of people live here I mean." 

"Sam I know you come from a world were most of the people are nice and treat you fair. But that is not true here. Some towns the people are as nice as they can be, but others the people are mean and cruel. We have to be careful. Me being a woman, and you being kids could make a lot of trouble for us. So lets just be careful and let me go into town in the morning and scout around a bit to see how they behave towards me." 

They made camp and set up the wards, Sarabi helped this time still insistent that she learn as much from them as they were learning from her. As darkness fell they could see the twinkle of lights down in the town below. It was a beautiful night and Toby noticed something very disturbing. "Sarabi why are there no stars in the sky above? And there is no moon. I haven't seen the moon since we got here." 

Sarabi just looked at him. "Stars? Moon? Toby what in the world are you talking about?" 

"Er, Sarabi it would be a long hard time to explain what all that is. Let's just say it's another of the differences between where we come from and here." Toby told her deciding not to even try to explain astronomy. 

"Ok, but someday we'll have a long talk about all these differences. I have a feeling I'm missing something very important here and I'd eventually like to know what it is. Now one important question. How do I get you home? I owe you for saving my life but how in the world, or I guess more to the point out of this world, do I get you kids safely home?" She asked watching them closely. 

Toby thought about it for a few minutes as Sarabi continued to watch him. "First I'll tell you how we came to be here, then I'll tell you how I think were going to have to get home. We were in the library at our school, and we were doing a report on a treaty. I found a book with the correct date on it, and we began to read it. It was all about a treaty all right, but not the one we were looking for. It spoke of a Collage for Wizards named Tulla. We were all talking about how we would love to go to a wizarding Collage after we get out of Hogwarts when I reached up to turn the page and said something to the effect that I wished we could all got to Arcanum. You know the rest. We appeared on that airship and now here we are. To get home my best guess would be to find the Collage for Wizards and ask them to send us home. There used to be a portal between your world and ours and for some reason it was shut down. Maybe they will open it long enough to send us back." 

Sarabi thought about it then asked. "What if they won't or can't send you back?" 

"Then we wait for a few years until I'm mature enough to use my own powers and I'll take us back." Toby told her confidently. 

"Your own powers? Toby again you confuse me what powers, I mean your obviously a wizard but are you something else too?" 

"He's a Jinn Sarabi, the only Golden Jinn to be born in almost five thousand years." Sam told her proudly. 

"Do I dare ask what a Jinn is." Sarabi asked looking Toby up and down as if she were seeing him for the first time. 

"A Jinn is a very powerful magical creature, meaning it's not human. But Toby's dad was human and his mom is a Jinn. Toby is the first male human, Jinn child to live to be older than five years. He was really sick a couple of months ago but now he's all right and he's gona grow up and everything." Sam explained then add when she realized what she had said. "I shouldn't have said that Toby your mom didn't want you to know how sick your were. I'm sorry." 

"Nothing to be sorry about Sam, I know I was very sick. And I know I turned all golden and hard. But it's Ok now I'll be able to control it soon and then if we haven't got home yet I'll take us home. That's a promise." Toby told all his friends. 

"For some reason I feel better about all this. You see I'm not all human either. I'm half Elf and half human. Lots of people don't like me because of it too." Sarabi told them seriously. 

"Well we like you just fine." Orion told her firmly. "We have all kinds of people in our world, and we treat everybody the same. And I like you lots." 

Sarabi smiled at Orion's open honesty. "Thank you Orion, that means a lot to me. But enough talk for tonight lets all get some sleep. In the morning who knows maybe we can find out where this Collage of yours is." 

Just before she fell asleep Sam told Sarabi. "I just want to say that we all like you Sarabi, I don't know what would have happened to us if we hadn't found you on that airship. It's us who should be thanking you." 

Sarabi was silent for several minutes and Sam was almost asleep when she answered. "You lot have given me something to live for. Up until now, or at lest since my dad died, I've had very little to look forward to. I'm an outcast form my mother's people the Elves, and for the most part an outcast from humans as well. So Sam I guess fate did us all a favor bringing us all together like this. Sweet dreams Sam." 

"Ummm, you too Sarabi."...... 

  
  
Go To Chapter 8, Magicka  
  


Click here to E-Mail Michael if you have any comments. 

  


  
  
  
  


© 2001 M V Stevens. This site is an independent Harry Potter fan website. It is in no way related to J.K. Rowling, Mary Grand Pre, Scholastic, Bloomsbury or Arthur A. Levine Books or Warner Bros. Films all of whom own rights to the commercial exploitation of Harry Potter. I want no monetary gain from my web site and I intend no infringement to anyone's rights. 


End file.
